Economic Development

National Companies Have Taken Notice

Companies continue to re-locate and expand into Berkeley County.  DuPont recently announced an expansion of their Berkeley County plant to produce Kevlar. Berkeley County was chosen over 40 other possible sites around the world.

South Carolina, and Berkeley County, have become a “hot spot” for business and industry.  National companies such as Alcoa, Nucor Steel, and Google (voted as the #1 company to work for in the United States) all have expanded their operations into Berkeley County.  According to the South Carolina Manufacturer’s Alliance:

• In 2005, South Carolina manufacturers exported $13.5 billion of the $13.9 billion in total goods; that's 97% of all exports.
• Since 2000, the manufacturing community has provided over $2 billion in tax revenue for local school districts in South Carolina.

Berkeley County industries provide high paying jobs, and statistics indicate wages are rising faster in Berkeley County than for the state as a whole.  Berkeley County’s average wage is 6.2% higher than the South Carolina average. Larger manufacturers, such as Nucor and Alcoa, offer employees an average compensation package of $80,000 (salary, benefits, “perks”).

Berkeley County’s award winning industries have also earned recognition for being environmentally friendly:

Nucor Steel – uses nearly 100% recycled steel to produce their product.

JW Aluminum, a secondary aluminum smelter and Alcoa – Mt. Holly have both won multiple awards from Sustainable Charleston and the Recycling Business awards program.

In 2007, Berkeley County experienced over 1.3 billion dollars in economic growth and expansions, making it a record year for Berkeley County!  This continued economic boom in is due in large part to the availability of reasonably priced resources.  The Post & Courier reported that “relatively cheap electricity and water were some of the biggest factors in Google choosing Goose Creek”.

Companies who have re-located to Berkeley County seize the opportunity to offer employees an area which offers an excellent education system, local opportunities for higher education, history, culture, sports, outdoor recreation and an overall outstanding atmosphere to raise a family!