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Fall 2012
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A Place to grow
Spartanburg County attracts major industry and helps it thrive
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ith a climate good for businesses and the people who work for them, it’s no wonder Spartanburg County has an exceptional track record in attracting and retaining industry. The county is home to advanced manufacturing companies such as automotive, plastics, chemicals and energy, as well as distribution centers and professional services. The Spartanburg Economic Futures Group (EFG), an affiliate of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, plays a major role in facilitating the recruitment and retention of such industry.
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million vehicles have prepared our team well to meet the new opportunities that lie ahead for our plant. We look forward to a new model with great anticipation. For nearly 20 years, this team has always proven their steadfast commitment to producing quality vehicles for our customers around the world.”
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BMW Manufacturing Co.’s investment in Spartanburg totals nearly $6 billion.
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“The EFG is a private/public partnership focused on developing industry within Spartanburg County,” explained Russ Weber, president of Integral Solutions and chairperson of the Spartanburg Economic Futures Group. “We work with all stakeholders to ensure Spartanburg offers the best climate for business attraction and growth. These efforts not only provide real value to the businesses involved, but translate into substantial return on investment to our community by driving capital investment, creating jobs, and raising the standard of living for our citizens.” Along with and in part due to this continued business growth, the population of Spartanburg County has grown at a steady rate, increasing 12% from 2000 to 2010. An even better indicator of positive growth for the community, companies continue to relocate and/or expand within Spartanburg – as evident in a total of $1.5 billion invested and 4,600 jobs created over the last Special Advertising Section
3.5 years. Spartanburg has worked hard to develop and maintain a business climate that not only attracts businesses but also allows them to thrive through expansion. One of the best examples of this is BMW Manufacturing Co., which originally invested $300 million in Spartanburg County in its first full manufacturing plant outside Germany. BMW’s manufacturing facility, known as “Plant Spartanburg,” is now the largest exporter of vehicles by value in America. An expansion project of nearly $900 million and 300 new jobs was recently announced to support the growing demand for existing models X3, X5, and X6 as well as preparing for future production of the BMW X4. With this expansion included, BMW’s total announced investment in Spartanburg adds up to nearly $6 billion. President of BMW Manufacturing Josef Kerscher commented on the history and the anticipated expansion, saying, “Two
Spartanburg County is well positioned in the Upstate of South Carolina at the crossroads of Interstates 85 and 26. These two major Southeast arteries provide north/ south access between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga., and west/east access from Kingsport, Tenn., to Charleston, S.C. With the combination of an international airport, trucking, and rail access to the ports of Charleston and Savannah, Spartanburg is a prime location for businesses with core capabilities reliant on the distribution of goods. The South Carolina Port Authority (SCPA) recently announced plans to develop an “inland port” in Greer, located within Spartanburg County. SCPA owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston and Georgetown, handling international commerce valued at more than $58 billion annually. The $23.5 million, 40-acre project will be completed within 18 months. In partnership with Norfolk Southern, the rail yard will provide a connection directly to the port, thus extending the port’s reach more than 200 miles – providing an alternative to trucking containers with an overnight train service from the port’s docks to and from the rail yard. Several regional port users are indicating significant interest in using the inland port immediately upon completion. “The I-26 corridor is a critical transportation artery in the Southeast. The development of this facility has the potential, in time, to improve the movement of freight in this corridor by converting 50,000 all-truck container moves to more efficient multimodal moves between the interior and the port. We see it as a game-changer for the port and the state of South Carolina,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Port Authority. “The I-85 corridor, centered on the Greenville/Spar-
County Spotlight: spartanburg
tanburg area, is projected to be the fastestgrowing part of the Southeast over the next 20 years. This facility will be a further catalyst to the development of an enhanced distribution hub in this area.” Positioned close to the anticipated inland port, the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) boasts an 11,001-foot runway and is currently undergoing a $115 million terminal improvement program. With full understanding of its ability to provide economic impact to the local community, GSP recently embarked on a Land Use Planning & Development Study of the 3,500 acres of land surrounding the airport. Of these 3,500 acres, 2,000 acres are being considered for aviation and non-aviation development, the majority of which lies within Spartanburg County. The land use study will determine the appropriate use of acreage for industrial, distribution, commercial and other uses. Highly unique to airports across the country, GSP is one of few airports having land available for large-scale development providing runway, railroad and interstate access. “The GSP District is aware of its impact
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From antique shopping and downtown dining to cheering on the Fighting Wolverines at local school athletic events, the town of Woodruff has something for everyone! www.cityofwoodruff.com
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County Spotlight: spartanburg
With the combination of the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, trucking, and rail access to the port of Charleston, Spartanburg is a prime location for businesses. (Photos/Norfolk Southern Railroad, GSP, and SC Ports Authority)
from an aviation perspective and role in land use development, both of which have a tremendous impact on our community’s ability to attract and retain industry and thus continue to provide economic impact,” remarked Dave Edwards, president and CEO of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. “We look forward to identifying the best use of this valuable asset while maintaining exceptional aviation services to our customers and community.”
A Wealth Of Resources
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In addition to Spartanburg County’s logistical advantages, it offers a wealth of resources to businesses including a workforce supported by proactive training programs, low-cost utilities, and a stable political landscape. All allies involved, from education entities and utility companies to political leaders, understand the important role they play as stakeholders in the community’s success and therefore have a strong and consistent history of being exceedingly business-friendly. “Our record demonstrates that our county council is one of the most probusiness councils in the Southeast,” stated David Britt, councilman and chairman of the Economic Recruitment & Development committee of the Spartanburg County Council, and EFG board member. “We as a county are fortunate to have a network of utilities, infrastructure, and private/public partnerships that are able to come together quickly and efficiently to deliver the needed structure and support to businesses. Supporting business has a ripple effect that
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permeates the entire community; we know our efforts are for the betterment of our community and citizens.” A qualified and trained workforce is critical to a business’s success. Access to the right number of employees, at the right time, with the right skill sets will always be a key factor for a successful business launch or expansion. With new technologies and continued emphasis on quality, many of today’s jobs require production personnel with skill-sets above a traditional high school education with a comprehension of basic math skills and ability to work with computers. For example, while more automation may reduce the number of machine operators on production floors, it increases the demand for tooling specialists and mechatronics-based technicians. This trend has been addressed with the help of Spartanburg’s proactive educational system. For years, Spartanburg County schools have anticipated industry trends in technology and provided appropriate curriculum to respond to these needs. Technical-based curriculums are now available to high school students such as the addition of mechatronics as a course option. Our higher education entities are also providing needed technical support and training. An example of such can be found in the outstanding mechatronics program at Spartanburg Community College. “We are proud to sponsor a mechatronics apprenticeship program in cooperation with the Spartanburg Community College,” said Warren Snead, Human Resources manager of Cooper Standard Automotive.
developed by Johnson Development Associates, Inc. The distribution center resides on a 100-acre site and was substantially completed in a mere seven months. Spartanburg’s ability to fast track the development helped secure the $50 million Amazon investment that will create 375 jobs.
County Spotlight: spartanburg
A Welcoming Community The best proof of how welcoming and pro-business Spartanburg County is for industry is the list of companies who have made the decision that Spartanburg is the best place to build, relocate, or expand. What may be surprising is the sheer number of international companies who have made Spartanburg their home. Beyond logistics and infrastructure, quality of life is an important component in the decision a business makes in establishing a presence within a community. With rich cultural offerings, extensive educational opportunities, active citizen engagement, and stunning landscapes, Spartanburg is a robust and vibrant community that continues to innovate and thrive. A community gem, the 86,000-squarefoot Chapman Cultural Center welcomes more than 200,000 visitors a year to discover, experience, and celebrate the performing and visual arts, science, and history. An active community, Spartanburg has received the designation “Bicycle Friendly Community” for four straight years and the City of Spartanburg’s B-Cycle bike sharing stations are the first of their kind in the Southeast. It is truly a great place to work and live. Spartanburg is an established community that provides exceptional support and offerings to both its corporate and private citizens. Through its ideal placement within the state of South Carolina and the Southeast, the investment that has been and continues to be made in infrastructure and human resources, along with an exceptional quality of life, Spartanburg is positioned for continued growth that will reap untold benefits to all. “Through our ability to be responsive to industry needs and proactive in anticipating future opportunities, we continue to leverage our county’s assets in order to make doing business in Spartanburg a profitable venture. With a company’s success comes
our own, and that can best be summed up in the last 3.5 years in which we have averaged the creation of 25.3 jobs and the investment of $8,155,929 per week,” explained Russ Weber, chairperson of EFG. “We invite you to get to know Spartanburg County further and discover how our community can be the catalyst in your business’s success.” Special Advertising Section
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“Classes are well equipped and the instructors, most with years of industry experience, have produced technicians well prepared to meet our needs. As Cooper Standard continues to grow, we increase the number of apprentices accordingly to proactively address future requirements.” Cooper Standard also realized a powerful resource available to new or expanding businesses in the readySC™ program. “With the help of readySC™, our Spartanburg plant was able to recruit, hire, and train 60 new employees with job specific skills,” remarked Snead. “readySC™ developed the lesson plans, training aids, and provided classroom instruction at the Spartanburg Community College. Instructors actually used our products, gauges, and packaging in classes. These new employees were already familiar with work instructions and products on the first day at work. It was an incredible success for Cooper Standard.” To be prepared for the speed of business, Spartanburg focuses heavily on its infrastructure system. One critical piece of such infrastructure is the Spartanburg Community College Tyger River Campus. At 363,000 square feet, the Tyger River Campus is not only utilized as a branch campus, but also houses The Center for Business and Entrepreneurial Development. The differentiator of this facility is that unlike many incubators or soft-landing facilities, the Tyger River Campus is an industrial facility that accommodates and supports manufacturing start-ups and expansions. It also provides companies with space for production training of their workforce. Dish Network, adidas Group, BMW, Lear, Timken and Walmart have all utilized the facility. Two new welcome additions to Spartanburg County’s infrastructure system are S.C. Department of Commerce Certified Industrial Sites in Cullum Interest’s 131acre Velocity Park and Pacolet Milliken’s 1,300-acre Tyger River Industrial Site. By completing the site certification process, the landowners have positioned Spartanburg well for recruitment of Class A industrial projects that seek locations providing a fast track development timeline and thus mitigate the company’s risk. One such recent success is the 1 millionsquare-foot Amazon.com facility being
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