Greenwood, S.C. (January 15, 2010) — The South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Greenwood Partnership Alliance today announced that Capsugel, a global leader in capsule manufacturing and liquid drug delivery products and services, will expand its operations in Greenwood County. The $15 million investment is expected to create 50 new jobs.

Ron Millender, Vice President and General Manager of the Americas Region for Capsugel added, “the market demand for delivery of pharmaceutical and health food supplement solutions in a liquid capsule form has expanded significantly over the last five years. Capsugel’s proprietary development services have driven the need to add manufacturing capabilities in order to satisfy market demand. We are excited to be able to add the additional capability of pharmaceutical manufacturing to our Licaps Drug Delivery System line here in Greenwood.”

Capsugel currently employs over 700 colleagues at its Greenwood facility. The company is planning a 14,500 square foot expansion to its Emerald Road facility that will create additional office, lab, and production space. It is scheduled to be completed by January, 2011.

“Capsugel is a world-class company and an important part of South Carolina’s biotechnology sector. Their continued growth in South Carolina is a positive reflection of our state’s skilled workforce and an indication that we have established an environment in which businesses can be highly competitive and succeed. We congratulate Capsugel on their expansion and wish them continued success in their endeavors,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

“We congratulate Capsugel on its success in Greenwood County and look forward to continued growth,” said Mark Warner, CEO of Greenwood Partnership Alliance. “I believe an expansion announcement in this kind of economy is a real testament that the quality of our workforce and our business-friendly climate is right for Capsugel.”

Robbie Templeton, Greenwood County Council Chairman added, “economic development is a team effort on a local and state level. This is a great example of what happens when the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Duke Energy, Greenwood County Council and the Greenwood Partnership Alliance work together. We especially want to thank Capsugel for their success and commitment to our community.”

Capsugel, a division of Pfizer Inc. with over 2,800 colleagues and ten manufacturing facilities around the world, is a global leader in innovative dosage forms and solutions for the healthcare industry. Offering a comprehensive array of products and services, from hard gelatin, softgel, and vegetarian capsules, to innovative R&D equipment and liquid formulations as part of its Licaps® Drug Delivery System, Capsugel is at the forefront of drug delivery innovation providing support to customers from formulation to final production. For more information about Capsugel, visit www.capsugel.com.

Photo-
From left to right: Gonza Bryant, Greenwood County Council Member; Mark Warner, Executive Director, Greenwood Partnership Alliance; Ron Millender, Vice President and General Manager, Capsugel; Deborah Morrison, Director Licaps Manufacturing, Capsugel; Robbie Templeton, County Council Chairman; Vic Carpenter, Greenwood County Manager

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The South Carolina Economic Outlook is a monthly publication of the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Research. It provides the latest news and indicators on the state’s economy and labor market.

We hope you find this report informative and insightful.

Rebecca Gunnlaugsson, Ph.D., Economist
Division of Research

David Clayton, Director
Division of Research

CLICK HERE to view the December 2009 South Carolina Economic Outlook.

CLICK HERE to read previous issues.

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The Upstate SC Alliance would like to make you aware of the “Upstate Water Education Summit” presented by the Upstate Legislative Caucus.

The purpose of the Summit is to educate legislators, businesses, and other interested parties about long-term water supply needs, planning, and economic development.

Water Education Summit

Presented by the Upstate Legislative Caucus
Sponsored by Duke Energy Monday, January 25th 2010 10:00 am till 12:00 p.m.

BMW Zentrum
Please RSVP by replying to sunnie@sunnieanddeworken.com by January 22, 2010.

Flow of Events:

9:30-10:00 Registration
10:00-10:15 Welcome and Introductions
10:15-10:40 What You Need to Know about Water
10:40-11:10 Business Perspectives on Water
11:10-11:30 Water Resource Planning in the Southeast
11:30-11:45 Legislation Review and Next Steps
11:45-12:00 Question and Answer

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The South Carolina Department of Commerce is partnering with the National Federation of Independent Businesses to host a free, online forum to present information about capital programs available to small businesses across the state.

The webinar, entitled “Access to Capital – A Guide for Small Businesses,” will be held on January 13, at 11 a.m., and will be the first of three webinars to be hosted by NFIB/South Carolina and the Department of Commerce. The remaining two webinars will be held later this year and will focus on Marketing and Business Development and Regulations, Licensing and Permitting.

The webinar held on January 13 will allow small business owners to learn about the range of programs and funding sources available to small businesses.

“We’re very excited about the partnership with the Department of Commerce and the introduction of the Guide for Small Business webinar series for our small business members. According to our research, this is not only a first in South Carolina, but in the whole country,” said J.J. Darby, State Director of NFIB/South Carolina, the state’s leading small business association.

Speakers and presenters at the webinar will include J.J Darby, State Director of NFIB/South Carolina, Chuck Bundy, manager of Business Services for the S.C. Department of Commerce, Theresa Singleton, deputy district director for the Small Business Administration, Edwin Leslie, president of the Business Development Corporation and Mike Sandusky, president of Business Carolina Inc. Participants will not only gain valuable insight regarding access to capital, but participants will also be able to ask questions of presenters during the webinar.

“This webinar will provide great resources and expertise for small business owners throughout the state and we hope many individuals will take advantage of this opportunity. Small businesses are the driving force of our economy and we are pleased to partner with NFIB to offer a series of webinars that will provide important information to help more small businesses grow,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

Presentations will focus on non-commercial bank capital resources in South Carolina such as programs available through the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Guarantee Loan programs. Information regarding export financing and venture capital resources will also be presented. Participants have the opportunity to interact with other small business owners and learn about additional state and local resources available to assist companies in finding capital.

To register, please send an e-mail to kyle.jackson@nfib.org or call the NFIB/South Carolina office at 803-254-1476. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with information about joining the webinar.

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This is a guest editorial from the President of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association Mr. Buddy Bateman.
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S.C. must hunt more than buffalo to prosper
By SCEDA President Buddy Bateman

In the past, economic development was often compared to big-game hunting – buffalo hunting to be exact.

Just recently, South Carolina landed a major buffalo when Boeing broke ground on a new facility in North Charleston, promising 3,800 jobs. This project is a tremendous win for South Carolina, bringing international attention, strengthening our aerospace cluster, and potentially impacting the entire state.

Along with Boeing, South Carolina has won its share of buffalo in the last few years – Google, Monster.com, adidas, DuPont, Starbucks, and the list goes on. These projects are important, but the days are gone when we lived on big-game hunting as our only hope. Today, the buffalo represent only one part of a healthy economic development strategy for South Carolina.

To be successful in economic development – to create jobs and raise income levels – we must develop and implement a strategy that is well-balanced and comprehensive. While we continue to focus on industrial recruitment as one component, we cannot afford to ignore areas like existing industry, smaller advanced manufacturers, distribution and logistics companies, high-tech or knowledge-based companies, entrepreneurship, and tourism development. This multi-faceted approach to economic development will diversify our economy and create opportunities for citizens in rural areas as well as urban ones.

As we look at a broader, more strategic approach, it makes sense to focus on a short list of industries that South Carolina has the greatest chance of attracting: traditional manufacturing and distribution, investment-intensive manufacturing, high tech/high wage, and corporate headquarters. The South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association believes that the state’s economic development game plan should include an aggressive selling approach and incentives targeted at each of these industries.

To successfully implement this strategy, we must take a few key steps. To start, we must recognize that education has to be the foundation of our efforts. Developing a talented work force, which will attract companies, starts with building strong K-12 schools and continues with retaining our best and brightest after graduation.
Next, we must have a statewide focus on teamwork and collaboration, which was instrumental in attracting Boeing. We must maintain the attitude that what’s good for one part of the state can ultimately be good for us all.

Finally, we need to be sure the state Department of Commerce has adequate funding to the lead the way. We also must support hard-working local economic development professionals, ensuring they have the tools and community backing to bring home jobs.

In the end, when a buffalo like Boeing comes along, we celebrate. South Carolina has been successful in the hunt, winning a major prize that will boost the state’s economy in countless ways. At the same time, we must also think bigger, recognizing that successful economic development has to involve more than big-industry recruiting. It includes a broad, well-balanced strategy that will help South Carolina win long-term.

By BUDDY BATEMAN
Guest Columnist

____________________________

To learn more about SCEDA, please visit www.sceda.org . SCEDA is South Carolina’s Voice for Economic Development.

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Business Facilities 2009 Economic Development Deal of the Year Awards

The economic downturn did not take the steam out of Business Facilities’ annual Economic Development Deal of the Year Awards competition.

Agencies from 15 states nominated 19 big-ticket projects for consideration by our expert panel of judges, who evaluated economic impact statistics, job-creation estimates and project narratives submitted by the applicants. Several mega-projects—each with a projected overall economic impact of more than $1-trillion—vied for top honors in the 2009 Economic Development Deal of the Year Awards contest.

The results are in and Business Facilities is pleased to announce that South Carolina’s Department of Commerce has taken the top prize, our Gold Award, for North Charleston’s selection by aircraft giant Boeing as the site of its Dreamliner 787 assembly plant.

Tennessee’s Department of Economic & Community Development snared our Silver Award for Hemlock Semiconductor’s polycrystalline silicon plant in Clarksville. Another top-tier winner was the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s AREVA/Northrop Grumman project (AREVA Newport News), which won the Bronze Award.

Honorable mentions in the 2009 Economic Development Deal of the Year Awards competition were bestowed by the judges on four projects: IBM’s new Global Technology Services Delivery Center in Dubuque, IA (submitted by Greater Dubuque (IA) Development Corp.); Louisiana Economic Development’s V-Vehicle Assembly Plant; San Antonio Economic Development Corp.’s Medtronic project; and NCI@Riverside, from City of Frederick, MD.

Boeing’s decision to locate its second 787 assembly facility in South Carolina instead of its traditional manufacturing base in Washington vaults the Palmetto State into a leadership position in aerospace manufacturing.

“The choice of North Charleston as a manufacturing site for Boeing’s best-selling commercial jet will have a seismic impact on South Carolina’s economic development,” noted Business Facilities Editor in Chief Jack Rogers.

The Boeing project is expected to bring in nearly $7 billion of economic activity to the state and local economy and create more than 12,000 direct and indirect jobs in coming years. State officials said the deal represents the largest single economic development announcement in South Carolina’s history.

Construction already has begun on the new plant, which will complement an existing Charleston facility that performs fabrication, assembly and systems installation for the 787 aft fuselage sections. Nearby, Global Aeronautica, in which Boeing owns a 50-percent stake, joins and integrates the 787 fuselage sections from other structural partners.

About 55 airlines already have ordered 840 of the long-awaited Dreamliner jets, which will carry up to 250 passengers each with a range of 8,200 miles. After more than five years of preparation, the 787 took its first test flight earlier this month. Because of its unique construction, the Dreamliner will be more efficient, quieter and hover lower emissions that previous Boeing offerings.

“Boeing’s decision to expand their presence in our state with an infusion of jobs and capital investment represents not only enormously good news for our state’s economy, but also a telling dividend from our state’s continued efforts to better our business climate,” Gov. Mark Sanford said when the deal was announced.

“For us, that means lowering taxes, easing regulatory burdens in our state’s tort and workers’ compensation systems, and keeping South Carolina a right-to-work state,” he added.

Analysts said South Carolina’s traditional aversion to union labor was a major factor in Boeing’s decision. Earlier this year, Dreamliner production in Washington was halted by a labor dispute and several major purchasers of 787s reportedly were reconsidering their commitments.

Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation’s decision to move to Clarksville, TN, was hailed by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen as indication of the state’s intention to become a leading player in the development of “green collar” jobs related to clean energy technologies.

Hemlock, the world’s leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other silicon-based products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and solar panels, is investing up to $2.5 billion in the Clarksville facility. Hemlock is majority-owned and managed by Dow Corning Corp.

The Silver Award-winning entry from Tennessee initially will create 500 jobs with the potential of employing up to 900 people within five years. Direct, indirect and induced jobs resulting from the project may eventually total more 9,000.

A critical factor in Hemlock’s decision to locate in Tennessee was the state’s proactive position regarding the price of electricity, a key concern of the polysilicon manufacturer. State officials and the Tennessee Valley Authority worked closely to address this issue.

Tennessee expanded its Green Energy Tax Credit, which permits green-energy manufacturers to eliminate uncertainty and risk associated with potential rising electricity costs as well as any future federal carbon tax which may be enacted. In 2009, the Green Energy Tax Credit was extended to green-energy supply chain manufacturers who have made a capital investment in excess of $250 million in a facility that is certified by the state Commissioner of Revenue, Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and Commissioner of Environment and Conservation to be a facility engaged in manufacturing a product that is necessary for the production of green energy.

The growth of the Clarksville metropolitan area and Clarksville’s proximity to the Nashville area’s skilled workforce also were cited as major factors in Hemlock’s decision.

Our Bronze Award winner is a partnership Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, the largest U.S. military shipbuilder, and AREVA, a French nuclear energy industry manufacturer, to form AREVA Newport News, a $363.5-million project that will bring more than 500 new engineering and production jobs to the city of Newport News, VA.

Both companies have a long-term presence in the Commonwealth (AREVA in Lynchburg and Northrop Grumman in Newport News. When AREVA decided to expand its heavy nuclear component manufacturing capacity (currently located in Chalon Saint Marcel, France), Virginia already was a leading candidate for the location choice.

Business Facilities congratulates all of the winners of our 2009 Economic Development Deal of the Year Awards competition.

This is a reprint of the orginal article.

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