Existing Industry News

This week, 45 years ago, a manufacturing milestone took place in our state that would set South Carolina on the road to becoming a true powerhouse in the automotive industry. On March 10, 1975, the first radial passenger tire rolled off the assembly line at the new Michelin plant in Greenville. The facility, Michelin U.S. 1, was the French company's first venture into major manufacturing operations in the United States and, at the time, was the largest single foreign investment in S.C. history. 

With an estimated impact of $27 billion, South Carolina’s automotive industry is a major driver of the state’s economy. To build on that growth and continue the advancement of the industry, the South Carolina Automotive Summit, which took place last week in Greenville, brings together top minds in the industry each year.

Community leaders, economic developers and state officials all gathered for the 30th annual S.C. Rural Summit this week hosted by the S.C.

The S.C. Commerce Business Services team recently partnered with the Fort Lawn Community Center to host the inaugural Small Business Forum for the town of Fort Lawn and surrounding areas. Attendees traveled from Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster and York counties, representing eight cities in the region. 

The Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation, Inc. (STREF), the U.S Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the S.C. Department of Commerce partnered to host the 8th annual Scrap tire Recycling Conference this week in Greenville. 

As the scrap tire industry’s premier market developing and emerging trends conference, the event offers valuable opportunities for industry leaders, regulators and stakeholders to review key developments in scrap tire management. 

While the official end of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is November 30, it is critical that businesses remain prepared throughout the year for any type of emergency. 

Unfortunately, one in four businesses that close due to a disaster will not reopen. To combat that statistic, S.C. Commerce works to prepare industry for emergency response and recovery. 

This past month, the S.C. Commerce Business Services team led events focused on supporting businesses in times of disaster and helping them get back up and running. 

The Business Services team at the S.C. Department of Commerce works each day to support South Carolina-based businesses’ needs throughout their growth and development with a multi-faceted approach across the state. 

Recently, Asheley Teasdel, director of the Business Services Division, had the opportunity to join Supply Chain Now Radio to highlight the department’s efforts on small business development, support for existing industry, supplier outreach and recycling market development.

On this day in 1973, Michelin announced plans to establish its first major manufacturing operations in the United States with a new tire plant in Greenville County. At that time, the project represented the largest single foreign investment in the state’s history. Now, 46 years later, the company’s presence in South Carolina has multiplied, and the Palmetto State has emerged as a true heavyweight in the global tire industry.

It’s often said that major industries are like the oak trees that populate our state. As they thrive and expand, many things can develop and grow in their drip lines. This has certainly been the case with South Carolina’s robust automotive industry. That’s why S.C. Commerce’s Business Services team works to ensure that in-state firms seize on the opportunities available to them within this thriving sector.

This week, hundreds of life sciences industry executives, government officials and education leaders descended on Charleston, S.C. for SCBIO 2018. Featuring speakers such as Biotechnology Innovation Organization President and CEO Jim Greenwood, Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt and University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, the annual event is aimed at advancing this burgeoning industry across the state.