Chester County

Recently, when the New York Times profiled a report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on revamped job-growth projections in a post-pandemic landscape, we took that opportunity to review what those numbers say about economic prospects here in the five counties comprising the South Carolina I-77 Region. As it turns out, the sectors… Continue Reading »

RICHBURG, S.C. – Chart Industries, Inc., (NASDAQ: GTLS), a global manufacturer of highly engineered cryogenic equipment, today announced plans to establish operations in Chester County. The $7 million investment will create 50 new jobs over the next five years. Founded in 1992, Chart Industries, Inc. is a global manufacturer of equipment used in the production,… Continue Reading »

In just a few short years, Giti Tire has become a flagship success story for the I-77 Corridor, leveraging a $560 million investment into an enterprise notable for its business, community and environmental sustainability.  The Singapore-based company’s first U.S. plant was a greenfield project that now houses a 1.7-million square foot factory that began production… Continue Reading »

As companies scour the United States searching for their next facility’s ideal site, dozens of variables are used to rank and eliminate prospective communities. Those making it to the short list are locations that can maximize return on investment (ROI) while minimizing risk. Certain variables, such as workforce, transportation access, and business costs are ubiquitous… Continue Reading »

We’re going to let the data do the driving in 2020. You can call that our New Year’s resolution but it’s really the new strategic focus the South Carolina I-77 Alliance is adopting to identify and market to prospective new industries that could benefit from the advantages our five-county corridor offers. While still relying on… Continue Reading »

As the century turned, the northern end of South Carolina’s I-77 corridor was still seeing the shakeout of the end of textile’s domination of the regional economy. Twenty years later, as a new decade dawns, that transformation is complete, and while advanced textile manufacturers still have a presence here, the local manufacturing base has become… Continue Reading »

RICHBURG, S.C. – Faddis Concrete Products, an American-owned provider of high-quality precast concrete products, today announced plans to establish operations in Chester County. The $6.7 million investment will create 60 new jobs. Since 1989, Faddis Concrete Products has offered a comprehensive selection of approved products for transportation, industrial, architectural and Homeland Security projects. Located at 2794 Old… Continue Reading »

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC), one of the largest producers of engineered wood products and plywood in North America and a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products, is expanding its existing operations in Chester County. The company is investing an additional $17.5 million in the facility in a series of upgrade… Continue Reading »

As unemployment rates fall to the lowest levels in half a century, finding people to fill jobs is a growing challenge for employers. To meet that challenge, first you need people. That’s why job creators from industries in every sector can do well to consider the five counties that comprise the Interstate 77 corridor between… Continue Reading »

The South Carolina I-77 Alliance is excited to announce the release of our new regional workforce study, a broad, in-depth look at the labor pool and demographic advantages available to companies considering initial or expanded investment in the five-county corridor between Columbia and Charlotte. The study —Regional Workforce Study for the SC I-77 Alliance —… Continue Reading »