Jeff McKay, Executive Director, North Eastern Strategic Alliance

August 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Jeff McKay, executive director of North Eastern Strategic Alliance, discussed the region’s economic development priorities, infrastructure assets and collaborative approach to growth. With nine counties working together, McKay said the region is focused on presenting a stronger, more cohesive case to investors and job creators. “If we’re all pulling the wagon in the same direction, we’re going to have success,” McKay told Invest:.

Looking back over the past year, what have been the biggest milestones or highlights for the Alliance and the region?

There has been a lot of focus on feeling things out with a new federal administration, along with its new policies and new direction, especially around trade and tariffs. There has been uncertainty as everyone tries to figure out where everything is going to land.

For us, it has been about identifying where we best fit and where the region’s strengths lie amid all that change. It is an ever-changing environment, and we have been focused on understanding how our region can continue to compete and position itself effectively.

What are the biggest advantages of taking a regional approach rather than a local approach to economic development?

In my view, it is fairly simple: it is all about mass. When we work together, we have the ability to show greater mass to investors and job creators who may be looking at an area.

Individually, counties can have success, but regionally, we can have greater success. We work well together across our nine counties to make sure we are putting our best foot forward and showing the strength we have as a cohesive region, rather than only as individual counties.

Our role is to facilitate that coordination and collaboration. We are fortunate to have a great group of partners, and that makes my job easier.

What industries are generating the strongest investment interest in the region?

We are blessed to have a diverse region, with a lot of household names across the landscape.

We have seen a lot of activity in the energy sector from users looking for more available power. We have also seen many inquiries from the data center sector, as much of South Carolina has.

Traditional manufacturing remains important. Steel, plastics, chemicals, and similar industries have been the backbone of our region for years, and those projects are still out there looking to create opportunities.

Transportation and logistics are also important because of Inland Port Dillon and our location on the East Coast. Companies are interested in getting products to and from the marketplace efficiently. We also see opportunity in automotive suppliers and companies that support the automotive or aerospace markets already present in the state.

Where do you see the greatest opportunities to diversify the economy while building on those traditional strengths?

A key strength of our region has been our workforce. People here are used to work, and they are mobile and trainable.

Manufacturing has been a staple of our economy, and we have shown that our workforce can engage in many skill sets and manufacturing processes. The ability to train people who may have been in one sector to enter another sector has been a real strength of the region.

We are also blessed to have strong educational institutions and workforce development programs available through the community college and local university system. That has set the table for us in the past and will continue to feed us in the future.

How is the region leveraging assets such as Inland Port Dillon, transportation infrastructure, and other available resources to attract investment?

Inland Port Dillon is still in a growth stage. It set cargo movement records during the last year, but we see a lot of opportunity for continued growth there.

From a transportation standpoint, we are blessed to have I-20 and I-95 in the region, as well as a strong four-lane road network that reaches other areas. As we grow, we will need to improve surface access into some communities. The Department of Transportation and local communities work well together to make sure there is a plan for that.

On the water and sewer side, many communities have consistently invested in water, wastewater, and access to those systems, while ensuring capacity is there to meet future needs. We still have areas where we need to develop further and continue investing, but compared to some other regions, we are in pretty good shape.

Proper planning produces good performance. We have had people who saw the need to invest and ensured we are doing things that will carry us into the next century.

What infrastructure or policy investments would have the greatest impact on supporting growth over the next decade?

First and foremost, I-73 going to the coast is a project we have supported over the years. It would be beneficial in opening additional transportation access to the coast, not only for business use but also for safety and other needs.

We also have a great international airport in Myrtle Beach and a strong regional airport in Florence. Ensuring we can get people in and out of the region, both in the interior and along the coast, by air and over land is critical.

We also need to continue investing in water, wastewater, power and related infrastructure to ensure growth continues.

What are your key goals and priorities for the next two to three years?

First, we need to continue ensuring that we work well together as a region. We will continue supporting the counties we represent and filling any gaps they may have to make their programs successful.

We also need to work with the strong local leadership we have and make sure visions align so that we all win. If we’re all pulling the wagon in the same direction, we’re going to have success.

South Carolina has proven to be, if not the leader in economic development in the United States, certainly one of the top leaders. We want to make sure we stay on board with that.