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The stretch of Interstate 77 between Charlotte and Columbia, South Carolina has emerged as one of the country’s most actively growing regions for manufacturing, distribution, and logistics.
The five counties here belong to the SC I-77 Alliance, which works to connect prospects with the resources that emerging and established companies need for their businesses, including a labor force of more than 2 million people; rural, city, and small-town living choices for their employees; and a low-tax, business-friendly environment.
Logistics is another major attraction for the corridor, with easy access to several major interstates, passenger and shipping hub airports, and seaports.
Once dominated by the textile industry, the Corridor is now home to advanced manufacturers in automotive, aerospace, chemicals, and other industries. So far in 2023, three major recent announcements underscore the five-county region’s surging presence in the Electric Vehicle (EV) realm.
- Scout Motors has chosen a site off I-77 just north of Columbia for its first manufacturing plant. The Volkswagen spinoff plans to invest $2 billion and create at least 4,000 jobs devoted to building EV pickup trucks and SUVs under the iconic, revived brand name.
- Albemarle Corporation, a global leader in specialty chemicals, is building a state-of-the art lithium hydroxide processing site in Chester County, creating more than 300 jobs in a $1.3 billion investment in the fast-emerging EV battery production space.
- Cirba Solutions is investing more than $300 million and creating more than 300 new jobs for the company’s flagship battery management and materials production facility in Columbia.
Two other prominent examples of the diversity here are Giti Tire’s manufacturing plant and E.&J. Gallo Winery’s first production and distribution facility outside California. Those are both in Chester County.
Lancaster County, meanwhile, just won the relocated headquarters of Snider Fleet Solutions, a nationwide provider serving the transportation and construction industries. In York County, QTS Data Centers, a leading global provider of colocation data center infrastructure and related services, just announced a $1 billion investment for their first facility in South Carolina and will be a key asset to York County’s emerging presence as a technology hub.
In Fairfield County, Oldcastle APG, a leading global manufacturer of outdoor living and building materials, today announced plans to establish production operations just off I-77 in the Ridgeway community.
Check out our news page at www.i77alliance.com/news for all the latest announcements. Please explore the rest of the site, too, including our robust economic and demographic data section and a rundown of available sites. There’s something to fit nearly any plans for office and corporate headquarters creation and expansion to manufacturing and distribution operations.
“The growing diversity and vibrancy of our industrial and business base is due both to our welcoming business environment and our willing workforce. We also have outstanding educational opportunities and lifestyle choices that will only continue to add to our economic resiliency and attractiveness to companies and their people alike,” said Charlene McGriff, Lancaster County Council Member and Board Chair for the I-77 Alliance.
