Your state has been courting European companies for half a century; how did it all begin?
We are the Agency of the Government of South Carolina. Our goal is to create economic opportunities for the citizens of South Carolina by growing our economy and recruiting companies from around the globe to set up locations in the state, and to become the premier choice for investment in the US[VC1] .
We’ve had an office in Europe since 1974 – we actually had a big party last year for our 50th anniversary. We started in Brussels, then moved to Frankfurt, and we’ve been in Munich for 25 years now. Today we have the largest office of any US state in Europe: seven people scouring the continent, meeting companies looking to invest in the US.
We also recently opened a dedicated office in the UK, because post-Brexit, we felt the British market needed more focused attention. Our Germany-based team was staying so busy covering France, Austria, northern Italy and the broader EU that the UK was becoming an outlier.
As for future expansion, we always look at new markets. We’ve had offices in the past in China and India but closed them down – I think we opened the Indian office a little too early, back in 2008. That’s a market we’re very interested in revisiting as the Indian economy grows. Canada is another one we’ve been looking at: it’s a two-hour flight from most of Canada, and despite the recent political rhetoric, they remain an important investment partner for South Carolina – typically ranking third or fourth in FDI, right behind Germany and Japan.
Which foreign investments are you most proud of?
You have to go back to 1974, when both Robert Bosch and Michelin arrived. Before that – going back 60 years – South Carolina was essentially the textile capital of the world. But as production shifted to lower-cost regions, we reinvented ourselves around foreign direct investment.
Bosch and Michelin have now been in the state for over 50 years. Bosch employs around 4,500 people across four facilities, and Michelin has roughly 12,000 employees across eight plants, including their North American headquarters. Their presence truly set us apart in Europe and paved the way for future successes.
Then in the 1990s, BMW chose South Carolina over 49 other states to build their first US facility. That was a game-changer. It brought an entire European supply chain with it – companies from Austria, Spain, the Nordics, Germany. And it inspired others. When Volvo was evaluating sites around 2015, they reportedly called BMW and asked where they would build again. The answer was South Carolina.
We’ve seen great investment from Asia as well. We have two large Japanese carbon fibre manufacturers, Toray and Teijin. Last year, Isuzu announced a commercial vehicle facility in the state. Samsung from South Korea has a large operation here. And Nanya Plastics, a Taiwanese company, was the first major Taiwanese investment in the US back in the 1980s. More recently, from the UK and Ireland, Eaton Corporation – which most people assume is an American name but is actually an Irish company – is building a large facility in one of our more rural counties.
How do partners like Altios support your work on a global level?
Workforce support, without a doubt. Companies want to know how they’ll find and train employees. We’re fortunate to have our technical college system and a program called Ready SC, which assists companies with hiring and training from day one. Over the years, they’ve added apprenticeship programs and ongoing development initiatives, but it’s that initial startup service that matters most.
We were just at the grand opening of a 100,000 square-foot training center being built on-site for Scout Motors, the Volkswagen Group facility near Columbia. One woman I met there had spent her career at the Department of Motor Vehicles – she’d never worked in manufacturing. She was mid-career, looking for a change, and going through the full training program. That’s what this is about.
Beyond workforce, companies often need help navigating local legal, banking and accounting services. We maintain a network of attorneys who understand South Carolina law, accountants familiar with international businesses, and connections to major national banks.
Have you ever seen a foreign company fail?
Yes. I worked with a German company years ago that chose a location and then struggled badly with hiring. They didn’t want to work with the technical college system, didn’t use the support available to them, and tried to do everything independently. Staff turnover became so severe they had to shut down after about three years. The lesson is clear: use the resources that exist. They’re there for a reason.
What are the biggest cultural pitfalls?
Culture shock is the number one challenge, even between companies that share a manufacturing mindset. If you build a plant in a rural area, you might need to reconsider working hours – people value their outdoor lifestyle, hunting and fishing on Fridays. You must adapt.
Early Asian investors sometimes tried to import their entire work culture, and it didn’t land. But the ones who succeeded took the best of their own culture – the discipline, the quality focus – and blended it with local expectations. That combination can be very powerful.
How do partners like Altios support your work on a global level?
We’ve been very fortunate to have great partners. We have Interlink running our offices in Asia, and we have Altios in Europe. Truth be told, most companies don’t even realize they’re not speaking directly with our state office – you’ve become a true extension of us. The best support you provide is acting as an extension of what we do: you’re out there selling the state, understanding our assets, and generating leads that fill the pipeline for our team in Europe. You do a great job of that.
What three pieces of advice would you give a company planning to invest in the US ?
First, don’t make the decision based on the incentive package. Incentives are temporary. You’re picking a location for the next 30, 40, maybe 100 years. Make sure you’re comfortable with the workforce, the community, and the broader environment. Let the incentives be the final factor, not the first.
Second, expect the process to take longer than you think. You cannot select a facility in six weeks. The southeastern US alone is a vast area – you could spend a full month just visiting sites and buildings. There’s a lot to discover before you can make an informed decision.
Third, ask questions. We may not have every answer, but we know who does. Whether it’s air permitting, environmental permitting, tax structure, or workforce training, we will connect you with the right experts.
Learn more about South Carolina European Office
