Mr. Carter Smith, CEcD, executive vice president at Economic Futures Group, Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce was chosen by his peers as this year’s “Upstate Economic Developer of the Year.”

South Carolina’s Inaugural Aerospace conference far exceeded the expectations of the event’s organizers. The level of participation from the private sector was proof that the state of South Carolina has established a strong network of industry support, sending a powerful message to industry worldwide that we are an exceptional place for business.

To help further the business plans of two Upstate companies, the SC Launch program of SCRA Technology Ventures presented checks to CampusConnectr and KIYATEC at Clemson University’s ICAR campus.

On the eve of the World Cup match up between the U.S. and Germany, an interesting question arises. Does the Upstate of South Carolina pull more for Team USA or Team Germany? These thoughts are brought on by a recent blog post from the Brookings Institution entitled World Cup of FDI: Which U.S. Metro Areas May Hold Closet Germany Fans?

2014 has been a strong year for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Upstate of South Carolina, accounting for more than 2,100 announced jobs and $2.2 billion in announced capital investment. In the latest research from the Brookings Institution, we get a look at the concentration of FDI in the Upstate and the impact it has on our economy.