jmmiller

South Carolina the ‘it’ state at international airshow “South Carolina continues to be the buzz because of Boeing,” Haley said this morning during a conference call from England with S.C. news media. Haley noted that 180 aerospace-related businesses in South Carolina employ 20,000 people. Just last year, the industry invested more than $100 million in the state and created about 900 new jobs, she said. “And, we’re just getting started,” Haley said, noting that S.C. officials have had about 50 meetings with various aerospace firms at the airshow. The airshow allows state officials to work on lining up new prospects, Haley added. “It’s the starting point of the CEO of the state asking the CEO of the company: We want you to come visit and see what we have to offer.” Aerospace firms that supply Boeing are interested in the state because of the business climate, workforce training, and the fact that S.C. is one of the “least unionized” states in the country, the governor said. The S.C. delegation also has met with executives of U.K.-based GKN Aerospace, a first-tier supplier that plans to invest a minimum of $38 million over the next six years and create 278 jobs opening in Orangeburg. Haley said meetings with companies like Boeing and GKN are part of the state’s efforts to make sure everyone is happy and to see what the state can do to help grow the firms’ business. http://www.charlesto...show-haley-says

Mercedes-Benz van plant lures Michigan-based automotive manufacturer to N. Charleston A Michigan company that specializes in delivery vehicles is expanding to the Charleston region, where it will join a growing roster of automotive manufacturers. Morgan Olson, a maker of walk-in cargo bodies and other components for vans and trucks, said Monday it is finalizing plans to open a factory that will employ up to 120 workers by the end of next year. Moderator edit: Please adhere to the rules and refrain from posting entire articles. A brief summary and a link to the news source is appropriate.

Aircraft Manufacturer Airbus to build first U.S. final assembly plant in Mobile, Ala. Set to accelerate the growth of Charleston's aerospace cluster of suppliers From the Post & Courier article by Brendan Kearney..... The Charleston area probably has a pretty good feeling for what's at play here and what it could mean. Boeing's decision to put together and deliver 787 Dreamliners in North Charleston is transforming the economy here, with more than 6,000 people working at the company's local factories, and according to Boeing, perhaps four times that many, at area suppliers and vendors, relying on the planemaker for their livelihoods. That multiplier effect is only expected to grow as Boeing South Carolina ramps up and expands. An Airbus plane-making factory would be a major addition to the Southeast's aerospace community and could accelerate the growth of the region's cluster of suppliers. In addition to Boeing, other industry heavyweights, like Spirit Aerosystems and Honda Aircraft Co. in North Carolina and Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. in Savannah, have major presences in the Southeast. http://www.postandco...or-southeast-us

The Charleston area led the state in population gains last year, and grew faster than most U.S. cities, according to the Census Bureau. Among the nation’s 715 towns and cities with at least 50,000 residents, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Charleston were all growth leaders. Michael Scarafile, president of Carolina One Real Estate, said population growth is usually a positive sign for the housing market. “As we see growth in population, both from people moving here for jobs like Boeing and because we have a great place to live, that creates more demand.” Tim Keane, director of Charleston’s Department of Planning Preservation and Sustainability, said a growing port, influx of technology-related businesses, good colleges and Boeing all point to growth. “We’re seeing a significant amount of commercial, office and residential development right now,” he said. “There are plenty places that would be very, very happy with the kind of investments we have going on, and the growth we are seeing.” http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120630/PC05/120639943

The State Ports Authority plans to spend more on capital projects during the next 12 months than ever before, in a plan of upgrades, repairs and new initiatives aimed at spurring robust growth at the Port of Charleston. The nearly $147 million spending plan includes big-ticket systems and machinery upgrades, hopes for upgraded office space and a large slug of money for an as-yet secret infrastructure project. “This is great news for our region,” said Mary Graham, senior vice president at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. “The port is the economic driver of our state,” she said. “When the port has thrived, the economy of our state has thrived, so it’s good to see them in expansion mode again.” http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120701/PC05/120709958/1165/port-of-charleston-putting-cash-to-work-with-largest-capital-plan-to-date

SC Legislature pledges full funding for Charleston harbor deepening The state funding set-aside would pay for the all the deepening work only if federal dollars do not come through. Under the current formula, the federal government would be expected to pay $120 million of the estimated $300 million cost. The state House and Senate previously had set aside $180 million for dredging, representing the state’s share. The budget including the $300 million measure next goes to Gov. Nikki Haley, http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120629/PC05/120629125/1165/legislature-pledges-full-funding-for-charleston-harbor-deepening

CARTA extends services to Summerville By Nick Johnson [email protected] Published June 28, 2012 The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, or CARTA, announced it will extend its services to Summerville for the first time. The new route, known as the Dorchester Road Express Route 3, will run from Summerville to downtown Charleston. “We have received numerous requests over the years to extend service to Summerville,” said CARTA Executive Director Christine Wilkinson. “We know there is a need to service neighboring communities and we are pleased that we are able to connect the current system to Summerville. This service was carefully planned and we believe this will be a highly utilized efficient route.” The route will be a limited-stop service, which runs during the peak travel times Monday through Friday. The route will run on Dorchester Road with stops in North Charleston at both Bosch and Boeing. The route will also continue downtown and make four stops, including: Meeting and Columbus streets, near the Piggly Wiggly store Meeting and John streets, near the Charleston Visitors Center and the Charleston Museum Calhoun and St. Philip streets, near the College of Charleston campus Calhoun and Jonathan Lucas streets, near the Medical University of South Carolina http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/44358-carta-extends-services-to-summerville?rss=0

Trident Technical College breaks ground on state of the art nursing and science building Staff Report Published June 27, 2012 With the help of local government, Trident Technical College broke ground Monday on a $30 million nursing and science building on the college’s main campus in North Charleston. Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties are supporting construction of the 90,000-square-foot building, with each county providing a proportional share of the funding — Charleston County, $18 million; Berkeley County, $7.5 million; and Dorchester County, $4.5 million. “We are very grateful for the support we have received from our county councils,” TTC president Mary Thornley said. “TTC is the largest provider of nursing education in the Lowcountry and the only provider of training for many critical health care fields. This investment will reap great benefits for our community as our population continues to grow and the demand for health care workers increases.” More than 300 people helped the college celebrate the milestone, including TTC students and faculty, county council members, legislators and other elected officials. The new building will house TTC’s three nursing programs and provide classroom and lab space for science classes such as microbiology, and anatomy and physiology. The building also will allow TTC to expand its nursing program from 650 students to 1,000. Currently, the nursing programs and 10 of the college’s 13 health science programs are housed in a 54,400-square-foot building constructed in 1989, when the college’s enrollment was only 5,728. Today, the college has an enrollment of close to 17,000 students, making it the second largest institution of higher education in the state based on undergraduate enrollment. Moving the nursing programs into a new building will free up space in the current building that will enable expansion of other health care programs. It hasn’t been determined how much any other individual program will expand. The health sciences division has been asked to evaluate their programs in order to determine priorities for use of the extra space. LS3P Associates designed the building, and China Construction America of South Carolina Inc. received the construction contract through a state bidding process. Construction is expected to be completed in fall 2013 and classes will begin in the building in January 2014. The new building is designed to meet LEED Silver standards for high performance in the areas of human and environmental health, sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. http://www.charlesto...cience-building

Does anyone have further details regarding the announcement that was made on Tuesday about the Ingleside development? Can't find any news articles about the announcement.

Economic development in Charleston is showing signs of picking up "As reported in recent weeks, Charleston County has two decent-size fish on the line with hopes of landing them soon. While they haven't been identified publicly yet because of confidentiality agreements, Project Aries and Project Quality are looking to invest a combined $76 million and create more than 180 jobs. Dorchester County Council last month approved an incentive package for a previously announced $200 million expansion of the Showa Denko Carbon plant in Ridgeville that's expected to create about 90 jobs. In Berkeley County, officials this week are holding a recognition event to welcome several new employers, led by the high-voltage cablemaker Nexans. The French company is shelling out $85 million to build a 200-worker plant in the Bushy Park Industrial Complex. More may be coming based on activity at the development alliance, which markets the three counties to new and expanding businesses."

Downtown hotel to become Charleston’s first residence club http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/44055-downtown-hotel-to-become-residence-club

Introducing ‘Silicon Harbor’: Charleston, SC, Home Of TwitPic And Amazon's CreateSpace Despite being the 75th largest metro area in the U.S., Charleston is ranked in the top 10 fastest growing cities for software and Internet technology. Here's why. http://www.fastcompany.com/1839445/charleston-silicon-harbor

Anthropologie opening store on King Street City of Charleston Planning Director Tim Keane said the city was pleased with the caliber of the new tenant. “I think Anthropologie is the type and quality of retailer to be on King Street,” Keane said. “We continue to believe the predominant and vast majority of our retailers are local, and they are, but we have 25 percent that are national, and they are maintaining a high level of quality. We are really pleased about it.” http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120601/PC05/120609904/1010/anthropologie-opening-store-on-king-street

Charleston Metro Area Ranked #1 in U.S. for Growth of Manufacturing Jobs The Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metro area ranked first nationally in manufacturing jobs growth from 2010 through 2011, according to a report by the Brookings Institution. Manufacturing jobs grew by 14.4% in the Lowcountry; nationally, manufacturing jobs grew by 2.7% for the same period. The metro area also outpaced the national average for the number of employees per plant. Local plants employ about 80.5 people per plant versus the national average of 39.9, according to 2009 figures. Lowcountry manufacturing jobs also pay higher wages than national averages for those jobs, according to the study. “Very high-tech” manufacturing jobs average $100,360 here; while “moderately high-tech” manufacturing jobs pay $68,216, and all manufacturing jobs pay an average of $65,779. The top three industries in the Charleston area are motor vehicles and parts, primary metals and machinery. In the study, the Brookings Institution ranked the top 100 metro areas in manufacturing categories. It compiled the study from Moody’s Analytics data. “Charleston is growing manufacturing jobs at a faster rate than any other metro in the country because this region offers the expertise and strategic global connections needed to compete in America's renewed manufacturing age," said David Ginn, CEO for the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, in a news release. http://charlestonbusiness.com/news/43986-lowcountry-ranks-no-1-for-growth-of-manufacturing-jobs

USC Alumni Center to be Built at Lincoln, Senate Streets Across from Convention Center From the plans... "Imagine a place where you are always welcome to visit, hold a meeting in a stylish conference room, or attend special events, receptions, and parties in a beautiful ballroom. Where you can take classes without quizzes in the Lifelong Learning Center, spend quiet time in the gardens, or manage your work and career while in town using state-of-the-art technology in the Business Center. Imagine a home for alumni in the heart of Innovista, the University’s vibrant research campus where the Carolina community lives, works, and plays. Located close to restaurants, hotels, the Colonial Life Arena and Carolina’s baseball stadium, the Alumni Center will add its own vitality to this dynamic area." In addition, a new underground tunnel will be built under Lincoln Street connecting the Alumni Center and parking garage to the Convention Center. http://www.columbiabusinessreport.com/news/43814-usc-alumni-center-planned-at-lincoln-senate-streets http://www.mycarolina.org/s/842/images/editor_documents/Executive/12_alumni_center_case_statement.pdf

Charleston Garment Manufactory set to open doors "The dream is to create a resource for fashion designers and individuals to use in developing and producing their clothing", said owner Heather Konnse. She hopes that the Manufactory will be an aid for drafting, consultations, garment construction, and education — aiming to streamline the Charleston designer experience. http://charleston.thedigitel.com/arts-culture/charleston-garment-manufactory-gets-funded-39101-0427

South Carolina is ambitious for more Boeing work As they celebrate the rollout of South Carolina's first 787, local officials hope to quickly grow an aerospace cluster with vacant land, new roads and if necessary, financial incentives. "...The new Boeing interiors facility opened in December is on Palmetto Commerce Parkway, a four-lane road finished just a year ago. Along the parkway's six-mile length, there are multiple turnouts that lead only to wooded land primed for commercial development. Beside the Boeing interiors facility, a cluster of businesses has already developed. Next door, Daimler is assembling commercial vans. Across the street, Venture Aerobearings makes bearings for jet engines. Adjacent to Venture, ground has been broken for a 110,000-square-foot airplane-structures plant for TIGHitco, a supplier to Boeing and other aerospace companies, that will bring 350 new jobs...." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018081740_boeingscfuture28.html

Michelin to build plant in Anderson County Greenville-based Michelin North America said today it will hire 500 people and invest $750 million in Anderson and Lexington counties to meet growing demand for the massive tires used on earth-moving equipment. http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/43436-michelin-to-build-plant-in-anderson-county?rss=0

Charleston metro area is eighth fastest growing in nation From April 2010 to July 2011, the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville community grew by some 17,000 people, the Census Bureau reported. Fueling the growth has been the region’s good climate, relatively affordable housing costs and job opportunities, such as at Boeing. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120406/UNKNOWN/120409459&slId=1

Upper King on rise: Hotels, apartments, restaurants changing face of downtown area About 200 high-end rental units soon will be going up at Spring and Meeting streets while a 238-room lodging is planned as part of the adjacent Midtown project at King and Spring streets. A 120-room Holiday Inn already is rising a block away at Woolfe and Meeting streets. Last June, the Cocktail Club opened in the upper floor of 479 King, and a few months later, its owners opened The Macintosh restaurant directly below. In October, Michael Shem-Tov, a partner in two Mellow Mushroom pizzerias, ventured farther north to 654 King with a sandwich shop called Butcher & Bee between the Crosstown overpasses. In December, Kevin Dignan branched out five years after opening O’Malley’s pub and started Mercury Bar next door at 547 King. Two doors down, Super Bad’s Hassouneh diversified by opening a convenience store called College Market just after Christmas, seeking to capitalize on the College of Charleston crowd. That same month, former REV Foods executive chef Kevin Johnson started serving finer dining at The Grocery at 4 Cannon St., half a block off King. The former Bank of America building at 544 King St. will become an oyster bar in the fall, a product of acclaimed FIG restaurant chef Mike Lata and business partner Adam Nemirow. By May, the former antique mall store at 495 King will be transformed into a two-story restaurant called Stars with a rooftop bar. The vacant building that once housed Charleston Paint Co. and nearby property could be the site of an unnamed restaurant with two office users upstairs or retail. At 186 St. Philip St., a block off King, Jason Cronen and Alley Ejlali, both veterans of the local food and beverage industry, plan to transform a former church at St. Philip and Cannon streets into a combination cafe, bar and Laundromat called Dirty Laundry. And half a block over from Upper King on Columbus Street, The Alley will come to life this summer, offering bowling and dining, said David Crowley, one of the partners in the project. That’s across the street from The Post and Courier, which sits on 12 acres controlled by parent Evening Post Publishing Co. The site includes large, undeveloped parcels between Meeting and St. Philip streets, but the company has announced no development plans nor has it submitted any to the city, Evening Post CEO John Barnwell said last week. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/12/upper-king-rise-hotels-apartments-restaurants-chan/

Uniscite Inc., a Chinese company that makes plastic film often used to package food, is investing at least $70 million to build a new plant in Laurens County and hire 100 workers initially http://www.thestate....m-maker-to.html

Economic Developments Under Way to Make Charleston a Worldwide Fashion Destination Top designers are setting up have set up shop on King Street, recently named one of the Top 10 shopping streets in America. Rosanna Krekel, a Lowcountry transplant from New York City, has launched a drive to put Charleston on the map as a fashion destination on par with New York, Paris and Milan. She's the regional director of Fashion Group International Charleston, a local nonprofit aiming to lure major designers to the city, establish an education component and possibly attract fashion- related business ventures to the Lowcountry. There are only 36 regions around the world with the Fashion Group International designation. Charleston is one of them. By joining the group, the Holy City is listed in the worldwide directory and members begin to exchange information. The city will attract well-versed speakers who can talk on big-picture issues such as retail, beauty and design, further punctuating the city as a place to do business in the fashion world. With the infrastructure in place, Krekel believes in five years Charleston will be as well known for fashion as it is for food, culture and tourism today. "What Spoleto has done for the arts here, Charleston could do it with fashion," she said. "I see us one day hosting international conferences. We love, love, love the city. We think it's the closest thing to Europe in America with its beauty and Old World charm." http://www.postandco...on-fashion-map/

Related to the above post.... The "Advanced Materials Center" in Anderson will undergo a change of name in the coming months complete with a broadened marketing focus. According to the article, the new focus of the innovation center will at least include information technology, advanced computing, environmental systems, toxicology and pollution prevention in addition to advanced materials. http://www.independentmail.com/news/2012/jan/05/research-park-revamp-marketing-strategy/

Charleston-based Research & Development Company to move into Anderson innovation center S-F LLC, a Charleston-based research and development company, signed a long-term lease with SCRA in the Duke Energy Innovation Center on the campus of the Advanced Materials Center in Anderson County. The company will initially hire 10 engineers to develop and patent new products in the medical, chemical, energy and textile industries. S-F will focus on commercializing those new products patented or designed at Anderson innovation center which will then be also manufactured in the Upstate. http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/42474-r-amp-d-company-to-open-at-anderson-innovation-center

Amazon growing, spurring additional development Amazon adding a second center adjoining the one just opened & putting one in the Upstate and another elsewhere. pharmaceutical maker plans to open a facility near Amazon soon; several other prospects are interested. Interest is taking root in redevelopment of empty stores in Cayce and West Columbia commercial growth will blossom along the 12th Street corridor that ends in the industrial park where Amazon’s center is located. http://www.thestate....-model-for.html