Business Facilities - February 2009 - (Page 23)

Top-notch transportation, workforce, education attainment, quality of life and business incentives translate into why Rankin County, MS is a Southeastern hot spot for automotive and supplier facilities. South Carolina: Automotive Magnet in the South South Carolina is a growing force in the automotive industry, with a diverse landscape that is attracting manufacturers and automotive suppliers alike. South Carolina’s location midway between Miami and New York provides easy access to materials and markets. Five interstate highways, nine commercial airports and two national rail carriers complete a superior intermodal transportation network. In 1992, BMW established its only North American facility in the upstate near Spartanburg, SC where it produces the popular X5 and X6 models and is in the midst of a $750-million expansion to prepare to build the X3 model. To date, the company has invested about $4 billion and employs more than 5,000. More than 125 auto-related companies are located within a 10county region to supply BMW and other Southern manufacturers. Michelin’s North American headquarters is located off Interstate 85 in neighboring Greenville County, SC to support its four tire-production facilities in the state. Also in Greenville, Clemson University is collaborating with BMW, Michelin, Microsoft and others to develop the International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). The 400-acre campus will be anchored by a Graduate Automotive Engineering Program and will include state-of-theart research and testing facilities as well as private industry R&D operations that will support the state’s growing automotive industry cluster. The Port of Charleston is located in coastal South Carolina and is a key location for export, and import, to Latin America and Europe. The Port of Charleston, SC is the most efficient container port in the Southeast. DaimlerChrysler assembles the Sprinter van there, and American LaFrance produces fire engines. Meanwhile, Florence, SC is home to Honda’s all-terrain vehicle and personal watercraft assembly plant that employs 1,600 at a campus on I-95. At the center of the state, the Greater Columbia area is intersected by I-77, I-20 and I-26, forming a transportation hub to support automotive suppliers there. Western South Carolina offers yet another opportunity for auto-related companies. Aiken, situated on I-20 #1904 at www.BusinessFacilities.com A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S A N D WA R D ’ S A U T O W O R L D A-7 http://www.dyerchamber.com http://www.dyerchamber.com http://www.BusinessFacilities.com

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Business Facilities - February 2009 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: Ohio Governor's Report Growth Magnets Industry Focus: Automotive International Report: Luxembourg Corporate Moves: Tennessee Cream of the Crop in North Carolina Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - February 2009

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