The first half of 2021 is outpacing the first half of 2019 in terms of economic development in the Upstate, according to a mid-year report released Aug. 25 by Upstate SC Alliance, a regional economic development organization funded through a series of public-private partnerships.
“There’s no doubt 2021 has been a challenging year across the globe, with implications for the business community,” said Alliance president and CEO John Lummus. “Even with challenges before us, economic development activities for 2021 remain strong — with announcements from the first half of the year far outpacing the same period in 2019.”
In all, 22 companies — about half of which are international — have pumped almost a billion dollars into the Upstate economy in the first two quarters of the year, according to recent announcements. Among them, a $100 million investment from OshKosh Defense in Spartanburg County that will bring 1,000 jobs and a $2oo million expansion of the ZF manufacturing facility in Laurens County.
Meanwhile, the Alliance is reporting robust online engagement with more than 40,000 website visits and 1.6 million digital marketing impressions and announced investments from several new partners, including the City of Simpsonville, Berkshire-Hathaway (via Carolina Gas Transmission), adidas, BASF Corp. and Limestone College.
