South Carolina

#7 South Carolina

#11 in Taxation and Regulation

#19 in Workforce Quality

#6 in Living Environment

Right to Work? ✓

Regional Profile – Southeast

STATE	OVERALL REGIONAL RANK	TAXATION & REGULATION REGIONAL RANK	WORKFORCE QUALITY REGIONAL RANK	LIVING ENVIRONMENT REGIONAL RANK
Alabama	7	6	7	8
Florida	1	2	6	5
Georgia	5	4	2	3
Kentucky	8	7	8	7
Louisiana	10	9	9	9
Mississippi	11	10	10	11
North Carolina	2	5	3	1
South Carolina	4	3	5	2
Tennessee	3	1	1	4
Virginia	6	8	4	6
West Virginia	9	11	11	10

Key Industries

Aerospace, Automotive, Biotech, Forestry, Food Processing, Logistics, Textiles, Chemicals

Key Companies

AVX Corp.

BMW

Denny’s

Fujifilm Manufacturing

Hitachi Electronic Devices

Liberty Tax Service

Muzak

SCANA Corp.

Sonoco Products

Advantages

Volvo chose a site in Berkeley County for its first North American factory in July, thrilling local officials and business leaders with plans to invest up to $500 million in a 100,000-vehicle a year production facility. The plant will employ up to 2,000 people when production ramps up in 2018.

Challenges

Job creation is shifting from manufacturing toward lower-paying leisure and hospitality and employment services, including temp companies. Real income growth in the Palmetto State consistently lags the national average.