Greenville Magazine - June 2008 - (Page 31)

ust how international is Greenville? The answer may be a matter of perspective. If you live in one of the older downtown neighborhoods, you may not think Greenville is international at all. If your home is in Berea, you may believe that Spanish is the new English. And if you live in Greer or Simpsonville, you may have neighbors from many different countries. Those responsible for economic development see the Upstate as a whole as an increasingly international picture. They rely not just on the impressions of those who live here but on rankings from outside sources. Those rankings compare Greenville favorably with other areas in terms of international growth. According to information compiled by the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), Greenville is rated #1 in the nation by Site Selection Magazine for both new and expanding international firms over the past decade, and the GreenvilleSpartanburg-Anderson area is the top area for European expansion in the United States. There are now approximately 73 international firms located in Greenville County, providing over 14,000 jobs. These include long-time international giants such as Michelin and BMW, and many newer international firms with names not as well known. And while Radici Soltex, Collano and Picanol may not roll easily off a southern-accented tongue, they are names worth knowing because they’re important to the area’s future. Greenville’s population has changed rapidly in recent years. According to Census Bureau data compiled J “Being international conveys a certain level of culture, innovation and forward thinking,” by Greenville Forward, there were 6,000 foreign-born residents in Greenville in 1990. By 2001, that number had grown 200 percent to 15,863. English is a second language for over 25,000 of these Greenvillians. And the reported Hispanic population in the county has grown over 400 percent in the last ten years. By 2030, it’s expected that the Hispanic population will have grown to 58,280, representing 11 percent of the total population of Greenville. Having an international community makes the jobs of people like Kevin Landmesser, vice president with GADC, easier. “Being international conveys a certain level of culture, innovation and forward thinking,” he says. “So by the fact that someone can be here and happy and acclimated to society, that says a lot about the openness and the fact that anybody can fit in.” Compared to other counties in the state, we have double the international population. Landmesser says that we’re seen as close to the top of many lists of areas with significant international concentration. “Are we a San Francisco to that level of diversity?” he says. “No. Are we probably one of the most internationally diverse cities in the East? I would say, ‘probably, yes.’” How do we, as a community, help all these new residents fit in? With an International Center designed to help residents feel at home here.The center extends a helping hand through a wide range of activities including an ambassador program through which a bilingual volunteer assists families in getting settled. Assistance might include registering for school, finding a doctor or getting children signed up for activities in the neighborhood. Foreign born residents in Greenville county and their country of origin 49% Latin America 22% Asia 21% Europe 5% North America 3% Africa 1% oceania Source: Greenville Forward 5% north America 21% Europe 3% Africa 22% Asia 49% latin America 1% Oceania may/june 2008 | Greenville maGazine 31

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Greenville Magazine - June 2008

Greenville Magazine - June 2008 Contents From the Publisher My Greenville Everyday Heroes Tackling Diversity Greenville’s Gone Global In The Lead From the Pros Anderson Suburban Sprawl Wellness The REAL State of Real Estate Something to Bark About Minority-owned Business A Look Back 1-Tank Trips Private School Resource Guide After Hours The Bulletin Around Town Viewpoints

Greenville Magazine - June 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.