caa launches inaugural Invest: South Carolina report
Key points:
- • caa enters its 19th market with Invest: South Carolina, featuring 200+ leaders.
- • Manufacturing drives the economy, with 783,000+ workers and $313 billion in output.
- • Growth is fueled by ports and population gains, including 2.5M TEUs in 2025 and 8.2% population growth over five years.
June 2026 — South Carolina is joining caa‘s growing national platform of economic reviews with the inaugural launch of Invest: South Carolina, the organization’s 19th market. The report and leadership summit will explore the state’s manufacturing strength, expanding port infrastructure, and emerging innovation economy.
Join us at caa’s upcoming leadership summits! These premier events bring together hundreds of public and private sector leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities for businesses and investors. Find the next summit in a city near you!
Ranked the No. 2 state people want to move to by moveBuddha, South Carolina has attracted sustained investment from global automakers, aerospace manufacturers, technology firms, and other key industry leaders seeking a skilled labor pool, competitive costs, and strategic proximity to the Port of Charleston. The inaugural edition of Invest: South Carolina will provide a comprehensive analysis of the state’s evolving economic landscape, featuring exclusive insights from more than 200 leaders across business, government, and education.
“South Carolina represents exactly the kind of market where our work adds the most value,” said Abby Lindenberg, founder and CEO of caa. “It is a state with strong structural assets, a diverse and growing economy, and a business community that is ready to tell its story to a national and global audience. We are proud to make it our 19th market.”
The project will be led by Senior Executive Director Shain Collins, who brings extensive experience across the Southeast, including North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida.
“South Carolina is a state that often surprises people — in the best way,” said Collins. “Behind the well-known anchor companies like BMW and Boeing, there is a deep bench of regional firms, research institutions, and emerging innovators who are building something remarkable. Invest: South Carolina will give that full story.”
Manufacturing powerhouse
Manufacturing is the cornerstone of South Carolina’s economy, employing more than 783,000 workers and generating over $313 billion in output annually, according to South Carolina Manufacturers & Commerce (SCMC). The state is home to BMW’s only U.S. production plant — which has produced more than seven million vehicles in Spartanburg — alongside Michelin North America’s headquarters, Volvo Cars’ first U.S. manufacturing facility, and a growing concentration of EV and battery supply chain investments.
Since 2018, South Carolina has obtained more than $50 billion in capital investment, driven by reshoring trends, federal incentives tied to the Inflation Reduction Act, and growing demand for domestic manufacturing capacity, according to Avison Young. The state’s industrial base spans aerospace — led by Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner final assembly facility in North Charleston — advanced materials, medical devices, and food processing, creating a diversified foundation that has proven resilient through multiple economic cycles.
Gateway to global commerce
South Carolina Ports are among the fastest-growing and most strategically significant seaports in the United States. With the deepest harbor on the East Coast — capable of accommodating the world’s largest container vessels — the port authority handled more than 2.5 million TEUs in 2025, according to South Carolina Ports. Continued expansion at the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal is expected to add significant throughput capacity through 2026, reinforcing Charleston’s role as a critical gateway for trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific trade.
Inland ports in Greer and Dillon extend the port’s reach deep into the Southeast, connecting manufacturers and distributors to global markets with efficiency that few competing corridors can match. This logistics infrastructure has become a major draw for distribution, e-commerce, and advanced manufacturing operations choosing South Carolina for their next facility.
Rising innovation economy
Beyond its established manufacturing and logistics base, South Carolina is building the foundations of a knowledge-driven economy. Charleston’s technology sector has grown rapidly, earning recognition as one of the fastest-growing tech cities in the Southeast. The metro is home to a thriving cluster of cybersecurity, fintech, and health technology firms, supported by the research capabilities of Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and the University of South Carolina.
MUSC’s expanded research enterprise and the state’s investments in life sciences infrastructure are attracting clinical trials, biotech startups, and pharmaceutical supply chain operations. Meanwhile, Greenville’s emergence as an advanced manufacturing hub — with companies like Hubbell, GE Power, and Fluor anchoring a thriving industrial corridor — reflects the breadth of South Carolina’s economic geography beyond the coast.
Steady trajectory
South Carolina’s economy is projected to grow faster than the national average in 2026, underpinned by continued inward investment, population growth, and the expansion of its port and logistics network. The state’s population has grown by 8.2% over the last five years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, driven by domestic migration from higher-cost states and international talent drawn to its research universities and manufacturing base.
South Carolina’s unemployment rate stood at 4.8% as of April 2026 — slightly higher than the national average — while median household income has grown steadily, reflecting wage gains driven by a competitive labor market and the entry of high-value employers. The state faces the challenge of expanding workforce development and infrastructure capacity to keep pace with investment demand — a central theme that Invest: South Carolina will explore in depth.
The inaugural edition of Invest: South Carolina will elevate the leaders, projects, and strategies shaping the state, and provide a platform for business, government, and institutional stakeholders to share their vision with a national and global audience.
About caa & Invest: South Carolina
caa is an integrated media platform that produces in-depth business intelligence through its annual print and digital economic reviews, high-impact conferences and events, and top-level interviews via its video platform, Invest:Insights.
Invest: South Carolina is the inaugural economic review of the key issues facing The Palmetto State, featuring exclusive insights from more than 200 economic leaders, sector insiders, elected officials, and institutional heads. The publication aims to 1) equip local, national, and international investors with comprehensive insights on the state and 2) promote South Carolina as a competitive, innovative, and collaborative place to do business.
The report conducts a deep dive into the top economic sectors in the state, including manufacturing, logistics and trade, real estate, banking and finance, healthcare, education, and technology. The publication analyzes the leading challenges facing the market and uncovers emerging opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
The caa team is currently connecting with stakeholders across South Carolina to gather perspectives and analysis that will define this inaugural edition. Invest: South Carolina is a unique opportunity for the business community to share its story with a national and global audience.
For more information, contact:
Shain Collins
Senior Executive Director
Want more? Read the Invest: reports.
