Colleges Help Regions Make the Grade

Just a generation or two ago, the entire College of Charleston student body could convene in one building. Today, more than 10,000 undergrads populate the central-city campus. And they share the stage with thousands of students at the Medical University of South Carolina, The Citadel, Trident Technical College and satellite Clemson and USC programs. The growth of the [...]

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Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up

Area Development magazine recently ran a really helpful article on what we’ve come to call the “Digest of Uncertainty.”  Starting with the 2007 collapse of key U.S. markets, the writers summarize the seismic activity that rocked the U.S. , and follows the money all over the globe, finally landing in Europe, where fiscal concerns have [...]

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Strong & Steady Growth in Charleston’s Economy

Recent news from the Brookings Institution placed Charleston’s manufacturing employment growth among the strongest in the nation between early 2010 and third quarter ’11. While manufacturing employment grew in 60 of the 100 largest U.S. metros, Charleston joined the rarified ranks of metros with growth of 5 to 10 percent. (The national average was 2.5 percent.) [...]

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National Media Focus on Honeymoon Charms and Dive-y Diners

We’re still celebrating Charleston being named the top city in America by Condé Nast Traveler, but the accolades don’t stop there! U.S. News selected the top American honeymoon destinations, and Charleston was selected for the #8 position. Says the magazine:  Start your marriage off with a taste of authentic Hollywood romance (Gone with the Wind-style) [...]

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Big Thinking Fuels SC Economy

The Charleston region received cheering trendlines this week, during two statewide gatherings. One occurred when University of South Carolina economists announced the state’s economy is on the upswing, and the Lowcountry is a chief driver of that surge. Reported by researcher Doug Woodward, over the past decade, our region has outpaced every metro area in the nation for [...]

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Music to Our Ears

The concept of Brain Drain has been much discussed over the decades, with most of the focus aimed at the factors that drive young people away. A new study focuses on the magnetic forces that attract the best thinkers to new places. And those forces, it turns out, are evolving. As a result, new “brain [...]

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Aerospace: A Soaring Sector

Boeing recently opened its new Charleston-area  interiors plant, and invited area leaders to tour its solar panel-covered exterior. Both events were milestones in this three-county region’s efforts to grow its aerospace industry cluster. And if a recent industry report is predictive, there are more big events to come. Area Development  magazine recently reported that 2010 aerospace sales [...]

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Benchmarking Israeli Tech Success

Learning from successful communities is a hallmark of this region’s economic development efforts. And sometimes leading innovators are found in unexpected places. Case in point: a recent trip to Israel was designed to develop long-term relationships and research partnerships between companies and universities in South Carolina and Israel.  The mission was sponsored by the SC-Israel Collaboration, [...]

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