Charleston Businesses

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Charleston,SC Businesses

Relocate your business to Charleston, SC

South Carolina's pro-business, pro-opportunity mindset is the biggest reason the state has become a magnet for investments, according to Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes, Inc.  "It seems to me that South Carolina is a prime example of what's really happening in the global economy,"  Forbes said in an October interview with the Charleston Regional Business Journal, citing the $600 million investment by Dubai-based Jafza International for logistics center in Orangeburg, SC.

According to Milken Institute, Charleston's low cost of living relative to other cities "provides more opportunities for retirees outside the area, while its diverse industry base attracts skilled workers. Charleston moved up the list from #22 in 2006; and from #57 in 2005 to #12 in 2007.  Milken found that Charleston's employment base grew 7.1 percent faster than the national average.

Charleston has maintained a strong, stable business environment based on a foundation of industry incentives, transportation links, diversified economy and a growing, highly-educated work force. The Milken Institute has recently released its Best-Performing Cities Index, in which the Charleston/North Charleston metropolitan area moved up ten places to 12th in economic performance among the nation's 200 largest cities.

Boosting Charleston's business prowess is a thriving seaport that is ranked among the most active and most efficient in the world, moving in excess of $55 billion in container cargo each year. The port serves forty shipping lines and more than 150 countries, and will expand with another $600 million, 280-acre terminal facility in the next five years.

Another major strengthening factor is the consistent growth and educational quality of the Charleston-area population that continues to attract new business and industry. From 2000 to 2006, Charleston showed a 40 per cent increase in the number of scientists, architects, information technologists and engineers relocating to the area, compared with fewer than five per cent growth in those categories nationwide. In addition, the area offers numerous business incentives, such as workforce recruiting and training at little or no cost, as well as reduction in corporate, property and sales taxes. Such a business-friendly environment has attracted a variety of high-tech industry, including aviation technology, digital media and software production, and pharmaceutical research and development. Among the recent businesses with plans to make Charleston home is Jafza International, which will relocate a $600 million manufacturing and distribution megahub that could bring as many as 10,000 jobs to the area.

A long-standing contributor to Charleston's financial strength has been a burgeoning tourism industry that pumps more than $5 billion into the local economy each year. Charleston's famed historic beauty and sub-tropical climate, combined with easy access via its international airport and Interstate network, brings more than five million visitors to the city annually, which in turn has stimulated real estate development, provided more funding for schools and technical colleges, and helped build on a solid infrastructure.

A few Charleston Businesses and Corporations:

Links to Charleston anecdotes...

Downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville.