The most productive container port in the U.S, the Port of Charleston provides access to all 20 of the top ocean carriers in the U.S. container trade.

Skilled manufacturing workforce, which grew nearly 17% between 2000 and 2008 compared to a nearly 20% decline for the United States during the same period.

Military & defense talent, with the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR), the Charleston Air Force Base, a growing base of defense contractors and 10,000+ ex-military and government employees, many with high security clearances. Much of this knowledge and experience has direct applications in the aviation/aerospace industry.

Comprehensive workforce training developed and delivered by South Carolina's internationally recognized pre-employment training program, readySC, which develops a trained workforce at little or no cost to the company. Trident Technical College's Aeronautical Studies division is designed to prepare students for two different career tracts within the aviation industry: aircraft maintenance and aircraft manufacturing. The college also collaborates with local companies to develop company-specific programs.

Competitive wage structure. The chart below provides wages typically associated with the aviation/aerospace sector, or visit our workforce and employment page to access a more comprehensive list of average wages by occupation (BLS data). For a local wage & benefit survey broken down by industry sector and company size contact Heyward Horton at the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.

Aerospace & Aviation Cluster, Selected Occupations, Charleston S.C. MSA

Occupation Code	Occupation Title	2008 Average Hourly Wage	2008 Median Hourly Wage
11-1021	General & Operations Managers	$44.80	$40.27
43-1011	First-line Supervisors/Managers of Office & Administrative Support Workers	$21.34	$20.03
49-3011	Aircraft Mechanics & Service Technicians	$22.34	$22.25
51-1011	First-line Supervisors/Managers of Production & Operating Workers	$25.98	$25.35
51-2092	Team Assemblers	$15.08	$13.13
51-4031	Cutting, Punching, Press Machine Setters, Operators, Tenders, Metal & Plastic	$15.53	$14.58
51-4041	Machinists	$16.69	$15.53
51-9061	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers & Weighers	$17.57	$15.79
53-7051	Industrial Truck &Tractor Operators	$16.35	$14.46
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5/2009

South Carolina is a right-to-work state. In 2009, just 2% of private workers in the Charleston metro area were members of an organized union, well below the national average of 12.3%.

Reliable, low cost energy with the state's industrial electricity averaging 20 - 25% below the national average. The Charleston region is served by two generating electric utilities ( Santee Cooper and SCANA/SCE&G) with a combined capacity of 10,275 megawatts, plus two electric cooperatives ( Berkeley Electric and Edisto Electric).

Greater Charleston is also part of the South Carolina transmission grid, which is served by four generating utilities with a combined capacity of 19,721 megawatts. For natural gas transmission and distribution, the region is served by Carolina Gas Transmission Corporation, a subsidiary of SCANA Corporation.

Foreign Trade Zone, with a number of industrial parks and greenfield sites having existing Foreign Trade Zone permits while the entire region is FTZ eligible. Learn more about the benefits of Foreign Trade Zone status.

The Composites Manufacturing Technology Center at Clemson University is the Navy's Center of Excellence for composites manufacturing technology. Clemson has also developed an advanced materials research complex, including an electron microscopy facility, an optical fiber fabrication facility and the Applied Research and Development Institute a partnership between Clemson and the South Carolina Research Authority.

The Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers & Films at Clemson University has been designated by The National Science Foundation as a national Engineering Research Center the only one in the country to focus solely on film and fiber research.

South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) is a non-profit contract R&D organization facilitating cross-industry collaboration via national and international research networks. SCRA has expertise in 30 market and technology segments, including advanced metals, composite materials, alternative energy and supply chain logistics.

Aerospace/Aviation Cluster Firms in the Charleston S.C. MSA

Company	Web Address	Product/Service
Primary
AAI Services Corporation	www.aaicorp.com	Software/hardware design and production, flight simulators
Boeing	www.boeing.com	The 787 Dreamliner components and final assembly; aircraft maintenance/repair/support at Charleston Air Force Base
Eaton Corporation - Aerospace Operations	www.eaton.com	Machined components
Evergreen International Aviation	www.evergreenaviation.com	Operates Boeing Dreamlifter in support of Boeing 787 manufacturing
Parker Hannifin Corporation	www.parker.com	Fluid pumps for gas turbine fuel systems
Rotomotion, LLC	www.rotomotion.com/	Aerial robotics
SKF Aero Bearing Service Center	www.skf.com	Aircraft engine bearing inspection, remanufacturing
Venture Aerobearings, LLC	www.ventureaerobearings.com	Jet engine bearings (joint venture SKF & GE Aviation)
Suppliers
The 2AM Group, LLC	www.2amgroup.com	Engineering, technical logistics and training, quality management
Brackett & Cochran Manufacturing, Inc.	www.mfgbybcm.com/	Precision fabrication, integration, subassembly, powder coating
Carolina Equipment & Supply Company, Inc. (CESCO)	www.blastandpaint.com	High pressure cleaning machines used for repainting/degreasing aircraft
Coastal Hydraulics Inc.	www.coastalhydraulics.net	Hydraulic and pneumatic systems for industrial equipment
IMR Test Labs Charleston	www.imrtest.com/index_charleston.html	Engineering, testing, analysis
Leatherwood Electronics & Manufacturing	www.leatherwoodmfg.com	Electronics, precision fabrication
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions South	www.tss.trelleborg.com/us	Sealing devices, gaskets wholesale distribution
UEC Electronics	www.uec-electronics.com	Electronics design, assembly
Wesco Aircraft Hardware	www.wescoair.com	Aerospace/aviation products distribution
Source: Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 7/2009.