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Upstate South Carolina is drawing the attention of more Chinese-owned business, and for good reason.

Upstate South Carolina once again drew the attention of the automotive and technology industries this week with news that the Greenville county-based International Transportation Innovation Center (ITIC) will become one of the first host sites for new wireless charging test beds for electric vehicles.

Site consultants are a valuable resource for companies looking to establish or expand operations. These individuals and firms are experts in assessing the attributes of cities, counties and states, taking into account what a region may offer when it comes to workforce development, tax incentives, available real estate, supply chains, infrastructure, quality of life and more.

Upstate South Carolina is a region that has always prided itself on its reputation for a dedicated, hard-working labor force. From the textile mills of decades past, to the manufacturing facilities found throughout the Upstate today, the workforce has been the key driver in the success of the 10-county region of Southwest South Carolina.

Survey finds S.C. is the top state for Overall Cost of Doing Business, Incentive Programs, Cooperative State Government and Speed of Permitting.

Later this month, leaders from the aerospace industry, government and the investment community will gather in the Palmetto State for the second annual South Carolina Aerospace Conference and Expo, held August 26-27 in Columbia, S.C.

Read any industry piece on workforce development and the apparent challenges of filling the skills gap and you’ll see experts stressing the importance of companies, especially in manufacturing and engineering, having hands-on involvement in their local education centers.

Earlier this week, Oconee County launched a new Youth Apprenticeship Program in partnership with the School District of Oconee County and Apprenticeship Carolina. Primarily geared towards Oconee County’s manufacturing sector, the program will work closely with local industries to form the necessary partnerships, as well as provide comprehensive classroom training and the hands-on learning environments required to build a qualified, skilled workforce in Upstate South Carolina.

Much of South Carolina’s recent success can be attributed to the active role Governor Nikki Haley has played in promoting the unique advantages found here in the Palmetto State.

Recruiting and hiring top talent takes a significant investment of resources for companies in this day and age. South Carolina understands this issue and is working towards a solution by becoming the nation’s first certified work ready state. In doing so, South Carolina will ensure its new and existing industries have the ability to draw from a highly-qualified job pool.

Members of the press in any industry sector are flooded with information, news and insights, especially during trade shows and conferences. For those attending the BIO International Convention in Philadelphia earlier this month, there was much talk about oncology, IP protection, M&A and emerging therapeutic business.

Volvo’s recent announcement regarding plans to build a $500 million plant in South Carolina, the company’s first U.S. plant, was met with praise from around the state and automotive industry.

Upstate South Carolina took home another award last week when Fodor’s Travel named Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail to its list of America’s Best Urban Bike Paths.

According to the CBRE’s recent reports for Q1 2015, the Greenville-Spartanburg market has almost five million square feet of industrial space under construction—the highest level of development in the area over the past 15 years.

Volvo Cars Corp. announced that it has chosen South Carolina as the site for its first U.S. plant, outlining a plan to build a $500 million plant in Berkeley County.

Home to global leaders such as BMW, Bosch, Magna, Michelin and ZF, Upstate South Carolina has become one of the nation’s most dynamic regions for automotive production and research

Milliken & Company has a deep-rooted history in Upstate South Carolina and the influence of former President, Roger Milliken can still be felt in the region and throughout the textile industry. Milliken & Company operates from the company’s corporate headquarters in Spartanburg, S.C., employing more than 7,000 workers throughout 39 manufacturing facilities in the U.S., the U.K., Belgium, France and China.

Upstate South Carolina’s top-ranked business climate, world-class research collaborations and a superb quality of life are a major reason the region continues to call world-renowned companies like BMW, Michelin, Fujifilm, GE and others home.

A recent report from the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings demonstrates that Greenville Technical College ranks as one of the national leaders in value at two-year educational institutions.

Upstate South Carolina is home to nearly 1.4 million people, a number that continues to grow as the world takes note of the many benefits that are unique to the area. Recently, Livability, a website that explores what makes small-to-medium sizes cities a great places to call home, named Greenville, S.C. to its annual “Top 100 Best Places to Live”.

One of the recurring topics addressed at the recent S.C. Automotive Summit was the importance of collaboration and specifically, how manufactures can benefit from partnerships with local startups and innovation hubs.

Earlier this week, the South Carolina Ports Authority reported that the Greer, S.C.-based Inland Port handled 5,187 rail moves in March, achieving its highest volumes since the facility opening in November 2013. Fiscal year to date, the Inland Port has handled 40,313 rail moves and is 52 percent ahead of planned volumes.

Apprenticeship Carolina provides businesses in South Carolina with unique access to all the information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered apprenticeship programs.

Last year was a banner year for Upstate South Carolina. The region kicked off the year with major announcements from BMW Manufacturing and Toray Industries, and by year end, the Upstate’s total announcements equaled more than $4 billion in capital investment and nearly 5,000 jobs—more than the previous two years combined.

Around the world, advances in technology and communications are quickly leveling the global economic playing field, and increasing prosperity abroad is driving the demand for high-quality, American-made goods.

This week BMW Manufacturing celebrated a major company milestone as it announced the production of its 3 millionth vehicle assembled at its plant in Upstate South Carolina.

The national economy has continued to experience steady growth and with more companies electing to do business in the U.S., there is a growing need for highly skilled labor to meet the demand for American-made goods.

With 30-plus institutions of higher learning, programs like iMAGINE Upstate and resources such as the NEXT High School, Upstate South Carolina continues to serve as a center for the advancement of STEM education.

The manufacturing industry continues to be one of the United States’ strongest growing and prolific job markets, with the industry supporting an estimated 17.6 million jobs in the United States, according to the most recent data from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

“The South is doing far more to recruit and train for the next generation,” said Laurie Harbour, President and CEO of Harbour Results, in regards to building an automotive workforce. “You guys are setting the foundation”

Next week the automotive industry’s national and global leaders will come together in Upstate South Carolina for the 4th Annual S.C. Automotive Summit, held February 23-25 in Greenville, S.C.

On Wednesday, representatives from a number of South Carolina’s leading bioscience companies gathered for a Biomedical Manufacturing Roundtable hosted by SCBIO at the offices of Upstate SC Alliance.

A recent release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce celebrated a more than 13% increase in exports for 2014 making South Carolina the top state in the Southeast for export growth and 6th nationwide. In total, the State of South Carolina exported $29.7 billion in goods and services for 2014. (See full release below)

In January, Vapor Apparel, a performance apparel manufacturer and digital print-on-demand service provider, announced it would invest $1.3 million to open a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Union County, creating 114 new jobs in Upstate South Carolina.

Developed and built primarily as a testing and research center for wind-turbine drivetrains, Clemson University’s Energy Innovation Center in North Charleston, S.C., is still ramping up operations. However, it’s already producing results, says Nikolaos Rigas, the facility’s director and the guiding force behind the unique test center’s development.

South Carolina manufacturing employees make over 15% more per hour than other hourly workers in the state according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI)—further demonstrating the state’s commitment to supporting a highly-desirable workforce.

The Upstate SC Alliance will formally launch the Upstate SC Regional Export Plan on March 11 at its Annual Meeting. The plan is the culmination of a year’s worth of work by leaders across the region that when fully executed will strengthen the Upstate and further secure its place in the global economy.

Charles Hard Townes, an industry pioneer who shared the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of the laser, passed away early Tuesday morning. In honor of Dr. Townes, a native of Greenville, S.C., we would like to share the following biography courtesy of Dr. John Ballato, Clemson University’s Vice President for Economic Development, noted optical expert and professor of materials science and engineering:

Monday marked yet another milestone in the Upstate’s mission to provide the automotive, transportation, and other high-tech sectors with a highly-skilled workforce with the groundbreaking of the Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI), a $25 million collaboration between Clemson University and Greenville Technical College.

Since its first flight in 1962, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) has earned a reputation as one of the finest airports in the country. GSP’s competitive airfare draws in more than 1.8 million passengers per year, who are served by six major airlines offering non-stop departures to 15 major cities and 18 different airports across the country.

2015 was another banner year in economic development for the Upstate region of South Carolina. Our 9 member counties gained $1.291 billion in capital investment, announced 76 total projects and created 6,471 new jobs.

More than 50 aviation and aerospace-related companies, including GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Michelin, Cytec, Carbures and more, call Upstate South Carolina home. With close proximity to major OEMs, such as the Boeing facility in Charleston, S.C., Gulfstream in Savannah, Ga., and Honda in North Carolina, the Upstate sits in the center of a growth hub for aerospace.

According to a recent study by the National Association of Counties (NACO) released earlier this week, Anderson County is one of just 65 counties among the 3,000-plus U.S. counties that has fully recovered from the recent economic recession, meeting or surpassing pre-recession levels for home prices, economic output, unemployment rate and jobs.

Having just celebrated the strongest year ever in terms of announced capital investment, the Upstate has no intention of slowing down. As demand in the Upstate market continues, both public and private entities are stepping up to make sure their communities have the right product to attract new and expanding industry. Included here is a partial list of available propertyin the Upstate market.

In 2014, companies said they would spend almost $4 billon building or expanding operations across Upstate South Carolina. As companies continue to thrive in the Upstate, they also create an ever-growing skilled workforce, creating over 4,500 new jobs in the Upstate in 2014.

With an active nightlife and a wide range of cultural activities from Broadway musicals to major sporting events, combined with an impressive number of lakes and mountains for outdoor recreation, the Upstate offers a unique mix of entertainment not found anywhere else.

Last year proved to be a successful one for business in Upstate South Carolina. In addition to numerous announcements from companies establishing operations in the region, there was no shortage of businesses that announced plans to expand throughout the area.