Upstate South Carolina EDOs Make Site Selection Magazine’s List of Top Economic Development Groups

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. And the Upstate continues to grow. Thanks to the collective help of the region’s local economic development offices (EDOs), Upstate South Carolina was able to announce more than $4 billion in capital investment and nearly 5,000 new jobs in 2014.

Recently, Site Selection magazine recognized the efforts of two Upstate-based EDO’s, naming the Economic Futures Group of Spartanburg to its annual Top U.S. Economic Development Groups and the Oconee Economic Alliance to its Top Micropolitan Groups of the Year list.

Per Site Selection: “This years’ Top US Economic Development Groups are based on four objective project criteria: jobs, capital investment, jobs per capita and investment per capita as tracked in Conway’s proprietary New Plant Database. Additional criteria include the creativity of economic development strategy; scope of project activity; and the ability to accurately document the link between the EDO and real results.”

The Economic Futures Group of Spartanburg was at the heart of two separate $1 billon announcements in 2014, helping to bring Toray Carbon Fibers America Inc. to the Upstate and working with BMW to announce a $1 billion expansion to its plant in Greer.

The team at Oconee Economic Alliance announced $95 million in investment and over 400 jobs in 2014.

View the entire list of Site Selection’s Top US Economic Development Groups at http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2015/may/top-us-groups.cfm?s=mp.

For more information on Spartanburg County, visit https://www.upstatescalliance.com/about-upstate/regional-fact-sheets/spartanburg-county.

For more information on Oconee County, visit https://www.upstatescalliance.com/about-upstate/regional-fact-sheets/oconee-county.