South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and S.C. Commerce staff, led by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Ashely Teasdel, welcomed British Ambassador to the U.S. Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, to Columbia, S.C., to further economic development and trade relation discussions.

South Carolina is built for the new economy. Industry magazine Business Facilities recently recognized the state for many of the attributes C-Suite executives and small business owners alike have already come to appreciate.

In mid-July, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Ashely Teasdel and S.C. Commerce led a state delegation throughout the United Kingdom. The mission trip helped grow bilateral collaboration, strengthen economic ties and build trade relations — continuing to advance the December 2022 memorandum of understanding between the two economies.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is pivotal to South Carolina’s economy, accounting for more than 30% of announced economic development investments in 2023 alone. Today, over 1,100 internationally owned operations exist statewide — even for those with locations throughout the world, South Carolina-based operations stand out in helping drive global success.

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.

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.

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.

To recognize the innovations and talent supporting South Carolina in “advancing the future, now,” The 2024 Governor’s Economic Summit united state, business and community leaders Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, setting forth South Carolina’s long-term economic development vision. In addition to remarks by Governor Henry McMaster, Secretary of Commerce Harry M.