Through the years, the month of June has marked monumental manufacturing milestones in the state of South Carolina.
This past week 27 years ago, BMW announced its decision to establish operations in the Palmetto State. BMW's presence has been a game-changer, proving to the world that South Carolina has the workforce necessary to produce complex, highly-advanced products. Nearly three decades later, South Carolina has become a leader in automotive manufacturing and boasts one of the top ten fastest-growing labor forces in the nation.
If we rewind to June of 2017, Samsung announced a new home appliance manufacturing facility in Newberry County.That $380 million investment changed the very fabric of the Newberry community, with an expected 950 new jobs.
And, about this time last June, S.C. sparkled under the glow of the global spotlight as the very first South Carolina-made Volvo S60 rolled off the assembly line at the company's Berkeley County operations. The state's access to infrastructure, well-trained workforce and business-friendly environment were catalysts for Volvo Cars to select South Carolina for its first manufacturing facility in the Western hemisphere in 2015.
South Carolina has a long and storied history in manufacturing. We continue to show the world that whether we are building planes, assembling automobiles or manufacturing state-of-the-art appliances, we are a state that knows how to make top-quality products.
As we move forward, the continued collaboration from economic development allies and partners across the state will allow us to add to this momentum, bringing even more jobs and opportunities to the people of South Carolina.