These collaborative initiatives will position our region for continued growth in 2018 and beyond.

While times have changed and manufacturing processes are not as vertically integrated as they once were, the idea of building durable goods “one piece at a time” rings truer today than ever.

Steel-toed boots, safety glasses and sophisticated robotics will likely resonate among this year’s summer memories for a group of Laurens County educators.

In May 2016, Oconee County landed its first BMW supplier in Oconee Industry & Technology Park — a beacon that called Walhalla High School alumnus Josh Ledbetter back to his home.

The Upstate Business Journal recently published an article by the Upstate SC Alliance that explored the ideas presented in the plastics event in Detroit, with voices from industries that have manufacturing operations within the Upstate and tying industry challenges to Clemson University research.