Global businesses target growing Upstate SC

10-county region maintains economic momentum

If it seems like the Upstate is experiencing explosive business growth, it’s not an illusion.

In the 2022 Site Selection Magazine Top Metros rankings, Spartanburg came in No. 1 in projects per capita. Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin ranked No. 1 for total projects in communities of their size — those with populations between 200,000 and 1 million.

And the momentum remains. In June, the 10-county region saw eight economic-development announcements. They ranged in size from a small-market entry by Hammer-IMS, a Belgian contactless measurement technology provider opening an office and demo facility at the Spark Center SC, to the $51.4 million Greenville headquarters investment by Lima One Capital.

“Success attracts success,” said John Lummus, president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance. “Companies are attracted to a business-friendly environment with proven success, established workforce development programs and the ability to move goods efficiently. And the Upstate is fortunate to have a growing, diversifying economy.”

The Upstate SC Alliance is a public-private regional economic development organization that markets the region for business investment and talent attraction, working in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the region’s counties and cities.

With 576 foreign-owned companies representing 35 countries, the Upstate is on the radar as a global business destination. From 2018-2022, companies announced $10.3 billion in capital investment and more than 27,234 jobs within the region. Nearly half were new company locations, and 57% came from international companies.

So, when a business leader is looking for a location to launch, expand or relocate, who do they call?

There are many answers, Lummus said. Some engage site-selection consultants or real estate brokers. When looking to grow in international markets, some reach out to the economic offices of their parent countries. Some search on Google. Others may have a rough idea of their desired location and may reach out to city, county, regional or state economic development teams.

The Upstate SC Alliance builds relationships with these “Centers of Influence” that support companies with site selection, showcasing all that the 10-county area that is home to 1.6 million has to offer and connecting them with the Upstate’s economic developers.

The process that unfolds to help companies find new locations is a collaborative one called economic development. Although each company’s journey to ribbon cutting may look different, there are many common elements to the process: research, visits, meetings with business support services, engineering, construction, human resources, legal and more. Each new company that enters the market creates opportunity for the businesses and individuals who are here.