Charleston, SC Economic Development
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Charleston Facts
 A Solid Business ClimateGreater Charleston has experienced unprecedented business growth over the past several years, with both multinational corporations and fast-growing startups taking advantage of our globally competitive business environment.Charleston's success in attracting corporate investment - by both new and existing companies - is due to a number of factors including a pro-business tax and incentive structure, a highly skilled workforce, world-class infrastructure and an attractive coastal location. |
 
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Largest Public Sector Employers
| Company | Product or Service | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Navy C/O Naval Weapons Station | Area Naval Commands | 13,000 |
| Medical University Of South Carolina (MUSC) | Hospital, post-secondary education, research | 10,000 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | U.S. Air Force | 7,300 |
| Charleston County School District | Education/public schools | 5,400 |
| Berkeley County School District | Education/public schools | 3,650 |
| Dorchester County School District II | Education/public schools | 2,350 |
| Charleston County | Local government | 2,100 |
| Santee Cooper | Electric and water utility | 1,750 |
| City of Charleston | Local government | 1,700 |
| College Of Charleston | Post secondary education | 1,200 |
| Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 7/2008 | ||
Largest Private Sector Employers
| Company | Product or Service | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Roper St. Francis Healthcare | Roper and Bon Secours St Francis Hospitals | 3,400 |
| Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co Inc. | Grocery wholesaler/retailer headquarters, distribution center | 2,500 |
| Robert Bosch Corporation | Antilock brake systems, fuel injection | 2,400 |
| Wal-Mart Supercenter Centre Pointe | Retail merchandise | 2,300 |
| Trident Medical Center (Trident Health System) | Hospital system | 2,000 |
| Force Protection Inc. | Mine-protected vehicles, military class vehicles | 1,550 |
| Bi-Lo Stores | Sixteen Charleston area retail grocery stores | 1,350 |
| Blackbaud, Inc. | Nonprofit software and service | 1,100 |
| Eagan, McAllister Associates, Inc. | Engineering, applied technology | 1,100 |
| Giant Cement Holding Inc. | Headquarters for cement plant operations | 1,050 |
| KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. | Paper, packaging, forest products | 1,050 |
| Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 7/2008 | ||
For a list of leading employers by county, visit:
Largest International Employers
| Nationality | Company | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Austrian | Stolzle-USA | 10 |
| Belgian | Agfa Corporation | 150 |
| British | Charleston Place | 530 |
| Cummins Turbo Technologies | 350 | |
| VT Milcom | 250 | |
| BP | 225 | |
| Gates Corp. | 200 | |
| Charleston Marine Containers Inc. | 125 | |
| Canadian | Stantec | 150 |
| Chilean | Briggs Industries | 60 |
| Chinese | Garden Zone | 60 |
| Danish | Maersk Sealand | 115 |
| Dutch | Hagemeyer North America | 200 |
| Sun Chemical | 160 | |
| Finnish | Kemira Chemicals, Inc. | 65 |
| French | Rhodia | 250 |
| Lafarge North America | 130 | |
| German | Robert Bosch Corporation | 2,400 |
| Behr Heat Transfer Systems, Inc. | 400 | |
| Getrag Precision Gear | 290 | |
| Linde Material Handling NA | 200 | |
| Rotorion North America L.L.C. | 200 | |
| Daimler Vans Manufacturing, LLC | 180 | |
| Berchtold Corp. | 170 | |
| LANXESS Corp. | 100 | |
| ThyssenKrupp Presta SteerTec USA LLC | 100 | |
| Greek | Thrace-LINQ, Inc. | 120 |
| Italian | Global Aeronautica, LLC | 350 |
| Japanese | Showa Denko Carbon, Inc. | 230 |
| Asahi Kasei Spandex America, Inc. | 150 | |
| Mexican | DAK Americas | 250 |
| Russian | Delfin USA | 170 |
| South African | Pegasus Steel | 85 |
| Spanish | Giant Cement Holding Inc. | 1,050 |
| Swedish | Venture Aerobearings LLC | 100 |
| Swiss | Mediterranean Shipping Co. | 210 |
| Belimed, Inc. | 75 | |
| Taiwanese | Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corp. | 52 |
| UAE | Jafza International | NA |
| Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 6/2008 | ||
Largest Manufacturing Employers
| Company | Product | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Bosch Corporation | Antilock brake systems, fuel injection | 2,400 |
| Force Protection Inc. | Mine-protected vehicles, military class vehicles | 1,550 |
| Giant Cement Holding Inc. | Headquarters for cement plant operations | 1,050 |
| KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. | Paper, packaging, forest products | 1,050 |
| Nucor Steel | Manufacturing - steel roll & steel beam | 900 |
| Alcoa Mt. Holly | Primary aluminum ingot; aluminum smelting | 600 |
| Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Services | Remanufacture automobile transmissions | 570 |
| CR Bard, Inc. | Medical products- specialty catheter manufacturing | 450 |
| Cummins Turbo Technologies | Manufacture turbochargers & air compressors | 450 |
| MWV (MeadWestvaco Corporation) | Diverse portfolio of specialty chemical products, community development, forest management | 420 |
| Behr Heat Transfer Systems, Inc. | Manufacturer of engine cooling systems | 400 |
| Detyens Shipyards, Inc. | Shipyard; general ship repairs & modifications | 400 |
| J.W. Aluminum | Aluminum foil and sheet products | 400 |
| American LaFrance | Manufacture heavy duty work trucks | 360 |
| Global Aeronautica, LLC | Aircraft components manufacturing | 350 |
| Hill-Rom Inc. | Specialty medical equipment | 350 |
| Vought Aircraft Industries | Aircraft manufacturing | 340 |
| Albany International | Paper machine press fabrics (felts) | 300 |
| Getrag Precision Gear | Gears for autos and trucks | 290 |
| DAK Americas | PET resin | 250 |
| Rhodia | Chemical manufacturing | 250 |
| VT Milcom | Engineering and technical services | 250 |
| Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 7/2008 | ||
Largest Distribution Employers
| Company | Product | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Piggly Wiggly Distribution Center | Distribution - grocery items | 600 |
| Carolina Nurseries | Wholesale ornamental nursery products distribution | 250 |
| Quoizel, Inc. | Distribution of decorative lighting products | 225 |
| Fruit of the Loom Palmetto Distribution Center | Undergarments | 200 |
| Hagemeyer North America | Electrical/industrial equipment, tools distribution | 200 |
| Linde Material Handling NA | Distribution of industrial & commercial machinery | 200 |
| Coastal Glass Distributors LLC | Custom-fabricated architectural glass products | 170 |
| Pearlstine Distributors | Beer distributor | 150 |
| Kinder Morgan | Cement import & distribution facility | 145 |
| UTi Integrated Logistics | Warehousing, distribution, logistics services | 140 |
| Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 6/2008 | ||
Large Headquarters Facilities
| Company | Type of Headquarters | Product |
|---|---|---|
| American LaFrance | Corporate | Corporate headquarters for firetruck and ambulance manufacturing |
| ArborGen LLC | Corporate | Headquarters and R&D and commercialization of tree genetics |
| AstenJohnson, Inc. | Corporate | Headquarters for paper machine felt manufacturing operations |
| AT&T | Regional | Telecommunications services; regional headquarters |
| Belimed, Inc. | North American | Infection control technology |
| Benefitfocus | Corporate | Produces custom-made benefits software |
| Berchtold Corp. | Corporate | Manufacture and distribute surgical equipment |
| Blackbaud, Inc. | Corporate | Specialty computer software development & design |
| Briggs Industries | Corporate | Headquarters and plumbing fixtures and faucets distribution |
| First Federal Of Charleston | Corporate | Banking and financial services |
| Force Protection Inc. | Corporate | Mine-protected vehicles, military class vehicles |
| GEL Group | Corporate | Environmental lab and engineering services |
| Giant Cement Holding Inc. | U.S. | Headquarters for cement plant operations |
| Global Aeronautica, LLC | Corporate | Aircraft components manufacturing |
| Hagemeyer North America | North American | Electrical/industrial equipment and tools distribution |
| InfoArch LLC | Corporate | Custom software development and consulting firm |
| Life Cycle Engineering Inc. | U.S. | Engineering and applied technology solutions |
| Maersk Sealand | Regional | Steamship agency |
| Mediterranean Shipping Co. | Regional | Shipping container manufacturing and steamship line |
| Modulant | World | Software developer; systems integration |
| Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co Inc. | Corporate | Grocery wholesaler/retailer headquarters and distribution center |
| Quoizel, Inc. | Corporate | Distribution of decorative lighting products |
| Rogers & Brown Custom Brokers | World | Import-export brokers |
| Thrace-LINQ, Inc. | U.S. | Heavy-duty, petroleum-based textiles |
| TWL Precision | North American | Automotive components |
| Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 6/2008 | ||
2006 Charleston S.C. Metro Area Business Patterns
| Total Establishments by Number of Employees | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry Code Description | Number of Employees | Total Establishments | 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-19 | 20-49 | 50-99 | 100-249 | 250-499 | 500-999 | 1000 or more |
| Total | 239,961 | 16,530 | 8,545 | 3,221 | 2,303 | 1,633 | 500 | 238 | 60 | 18 | 12 |
| Forestry, fishing, hunting & agriculture support | 100-249* | 42 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mining | 100-249* | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Utilities | 500-999* | 34 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Construction | 17,966 | 2,093 | 1,261 | 360 | 263 | 157 | 35 | 15 | 3 | ||
| Manufacturing | 21,424 | 486 | 170 | 73 | 86 | 3 | 29 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| Wholesale trade | 9,260 | 698 | 320 | 149 | 123 | 76 | 17 | 10 | 3 | ||
| Retail trade | 37,463 | 2,679 | 1,148 | 679 | 448 | 264 | 79 | 54 | 7 | ||
| Transportation & warehousing | 10,565 | 606 | 302 | 94 | 98 | 75 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Information | 5,000-9,999* | 214 | 110 | 38 | 31 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Finance & insurance | 7,790 | 1,015 | 600 | 228 | 114 | 56 | 9 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Real estate & rental & leasing | 5,650 | 993 | 743 | 128 | 72 | 32 | 10 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 16,258 | 1,751 | 1,162 | 274 | 166 | 99 | 32 | 10 | 7 | 1 | |
| Management of companies & enterprises | 3,504 | 81 | 36 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Admin, support, waste mgt, remediation services | 21,101 | 970 | 512 | 170 | 113 | 79 | 44 | 35 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| Educational services | 2,500-4,999* | 175 | 82 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Health care & social assistance | 30,950 | 1,495 | 649 | 395 | 248 | 142 | 31 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Arts, entertainment & recreation | 3,804 | 225 | 108 | 37 | 26 | 30 | 22 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Accommodation & food services | 31,595 | 1,351 | 372 | 173 | 276 | 380 | 119 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 12,334 | 1,570 | 895 | 372 | 180 | 96 | 18 | 7 | 2 | ||
| Unclassified establishments | 51 | 43 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2000 Charleston S.C. Metro Area Business Patterns
| Major Industry | Total Establishments by Number of Employees | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry Code Description | Number of Employees | Total Establishments | 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-19 | 20-49 | 50-99 | 100-249 | 250-499 | 500-999 | 1000 or more |
| Total | 219,499 | 14,070 | 7,129 | 2,898 | 1,983 | 1,341 | 394 | 236 | 53 | 26 | 10 |
| Forestry, fishing, hunting, and agriculture support | 500-999* | 56 | 38 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Mining | 100-249* | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||
| Utilities | 500-999* | 33 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Construction | 16,670 | 1,650 | 915 | 329 | 223 | 137 | 28 | 14 | 2 | 2 | |
| Manufacturing | 21,307 | 437 | 144 | 80 | 66 | 66 | 31 | 29 | 15 | 4 | 2 |
| Wholesale trade | 8,013 | 624 | 275 | 137 | 118 | 69 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| Retail trade | 32,356 | 2,498 | 1,106 | 648 | 428 | 183 | 70 | 59 | 4 | ||
| Transportation & warehousing | 8,838 | 514 | 256 | 87 | 67 | 73 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| Information | 5,000-9,999* | 183 | 84 | 36 | 25 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Finance & insurance | 6,330 | 820 | 456 | 209 | 101 | 39 | 9 | 6 | |||
| Real estate & rental & leasing | 4,261 | 626 | 428 | 120 | 45 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 11,976 | 1,353 | 899 | 221 | 123 | 78 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | |
| Management of companies & enterprises | 2,500-4,999* | 71 | 27 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Admin, support, waste mgt, remediation services | 10,000-24,999* | 741 | 389 | 119 | 91 | 73 | 34 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Educational services | 2,509 | 121 | 57 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Health care & social assistance | 30,220 | 1,251 | 566 | 310 | 224 | 98 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Arts, entertainment & recreation | 3,129 | 227 | 103 | 41 | 37 | 32 | 12 | 2 | |||
| Accommodation & food services | 28,179 | 1,156 | 321 | 168 | 220 | 320 | 90 | 30 | 4 | 3 | |
| Other services (except public administration) | 11,377 | 1,482 | 867 | 334 | 162 | 91 | 19 | 7 | 2 | ||
| Unclassified establishments | 251 | 201 | 185 | 13 | 2 | 1 | |||||
U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns '00 & '06 editions, the latest available, 9/2008. Does not include self-employed workers.
*Where exact number of employees was not available, a range was provided by the Census Bureau for perspective.
