Headquarters and Corporate Offices

The life sciences industry has built a solid foothold in South Carolina, where today it ranks as the Southeast’s fastest-growing life sciences ecosystem according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When a state is rich in natural beauty, from the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to scenic sandy beaches, it’s hard to keep many destinations a secret. The word has long been out that South Carolina is a top stop, with its world-class golf courses and reigning destination cities, to name just a few.

As part of the multi-day event, INMC Anderson also hosted the inaugural INMC International Start-Up Competition, where technology and biomedical start-ups from 15 cities around the world pitched to a panel of judges for the opportunity to win $10,000 in prize money and marketing assistance.

May 2024 marks a monumental milestone for Sonoco — globally headquartered in Hartsville, S.C. — 125 fantastic years in the packaging industry. From a team of 12 in a rented warehouse to Fortune 500 status with an international team of approximately 23,000 across more than 300 operations, Sonoco proudly serves some of the world’s best-known brands in industrial, consumer and several other markets.

On April 1, 2024, S.C. Commerce named Annie Caggiano the agency’s new Global Business Development director. Caggiano, who is on her second stint with S.C. Commerce and previously served as a business recruitment manager, brings nearly 20 years of economic development experience to the role.

April is South Carolina Innovation Awareness Month, a celebration of the state’s rapidly growing technology and innovation ecosystem.

The Palmetto State is the new home of American innovation, and its small businesses are among the proven leaders in embracing change to enable sustained growth.

Annual trade and export figures released by the U.S. Department of Commerce put South Carolina’s 2023 export sales at $37.3 billion, defying a national trend where U.S. exports dropped 2.2% over the same timeframe. The automotive industry remained the state’s leading export — South Carolina was once again the nation’s top exporter of tires, and a national leader in the export of completed passenger vehicles. In total, South Carolina exports reached 211 countries in 2023.

The life sciences industry is South Carolina’s fastest growing sector, accounting for an annual economic impact of $25.7 billion. With high growth potential and average wages nearly 80% above the state’s average, the industry’s upward trajectory is part of its selection as one of three target sectors in S.C. Commerce’s new strategic framework to guide future economic development efforts, announced in January 2024.

Global industry is in the midst of transformational change, catalyzed by technological advancements and rapidly evolving markets.