Moulton Logistics Management, based in Los Angeles, will locate a new distribution center in the Charleston region in Berkeley County. This strategic location will allow Moulton Logistics to provide access to markets in Europe and across the Atlantic Ocean. The new facility will also better service the company’s East Coast customers by reducing delivery costs and transit times. will locate its new distribution and logistics facility in Berkeley County. The $25 million investment is expected to generate 500 new jobs in the next five years.

Three years from now, Clemson University scientists will use this rundown space to help wind-turbine manufacturers test their drive trains, which harvest the energy from the rotation of a turbine's blades. State leaders and economic development officials hope the testing ground will become the center of an alternative energy hub, a source of thousands of jobs and a springboard for economic growth.

Surya Biofertilizers, a provider of organic, all-natural products to increase soil fertility and enhance plant growth, today announced the national retail launch of its full line of home garden applications including SHOOTUP™, GROWMORE™ and GROWZYME™. Developed in accordance with strict USDA protocols with beneficial microbes, Surya products offer healthy treatments for plants and soil that are extremely effective, non-pathogenic and safe for application around people and pets.

The College of Charleston has signed an agreement with Jack Tate, a South Carolina entrepreneur who founded Carolina Baby Superstores, through which Tate will donate up to $1 million to the College Foundation over the next two years. The College will match Tate’s financial gift in-kind and cash to help fund two key initiatives in the School of Business. The money is designated for two separate initiatives: the new Center of Vietnamese Enterprise and the pending M.B.A. or other academic programs.

Chernoff Newman, an advertising, public relations and marketing firm with an office in Charleston and locations throughout South Carolina, garnered 11 awards at the 2010 Addy Awards. The company received the “Best of Interactive” award, which honors one company that has gone above and beyond in creative design and implementation of an interactive Web site. In addition, Chernoff Newman won three gold Addy awards and seven silver Addy awards.

The IMO Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of slewing rings and slew drives, as well as experts in the machine and plant manufacturing sector, announced today that it has selected the Charleston region of South Carolina for its first U.S. facility. Its local operations, to be called IMO USA Corp., will ultimately employ 190 workers and generate $47 million in capital investment. The company plans to occupy a currently vacant building in Dorchester County’s McQueen Industrial Park.

Three area organizations will be receiving more than a half-million dollars in federal stimulus money for renewable energy projects as part of $2.8 million awarded to nine nonprofit organizations and government entities in South Carolina. St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center on Johns Island will be installing solar water heaters in several buildings through a renewable energy grant awarded by the S.C. Energy Office.

The National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for Innovation has awarded the College of Charleston a two-year $599,969 grant award for the Lowcountry Partnership for Biomedical Innovation. The project is intended to use psychological and social research on entrepreneurial individuals and start-up teams to increase the likelihood that biomedical discoveries will be successfully commercialized.

Florida-based BRPH, a design firm working on The Boeing Co.’s local 787 Dreamliner assembly facility, has established a permanent office in North Charleston. “We see Charleston as a major growth market for us, and this new office will help position BRPH as a professional services leader in the Southeast,” said Brad Harmsen, president and CEO.

A homebuilder trade magazine has marked the Charleston housing market as one of the top 5 regions on the mend. Builder magazine staked out the 20 healthiest housing markets for 2010 in its latest issue. Charleston was the highest-ranked market listed in South Carolina, with the Greenville region coming in at No. 19 and the Grand Strand at No. 15.

President Obama exchanged hugs and a slap on the back with Mayor Joe Riley on Thursday and awarded him the prestigious National Medal of Arts in the East Room of the White House. In casual remarks as the president closed the ceremony, Obama singled out and cited the mayor, among a handful of the other recipients, as "my great friend Joe Riley and the extraordinary work he's done in Charleston."

A top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official stopped by the Port of Charleston's Wando Welch Terminal to show how federal stimulus money can improve air quality. Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, praised the State Ports Authority for working with neighboring communities in its effort to reduce harmful emissions and also the state Education Department for making school buses safer.

A top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official stopped by the Port of Charleston's Wando Welch Terminal to show how federal stimulus money can improve air quality. Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, praised the State Ports Authority for working with neighboring communities in its effort to reduce harmful emissions and also the state Education Department for making school buses safer.

eThority , the provider of a user-obvious enterprise performance engine for reporting and analytics, announced today that their flagship product, eThority Enterprise , has been recognized by the Software & Information Industry Association as a finalist for a CODiE award in the category “Best Post Secondary Enterprise Solution.” eThority has, since its inception in 1992, worked closely with higher education institutions to solve their most pressing reporting and analytics problems.

ACAS Landing Gear Services, a repair and overhaul company with capabilities to service a variety of aircraft, will invest $5 million to retrofit the former Sara Lee building in Marion County to re-manufacture landing gear and landing gear components. The company expects to hire 300 workers over the next five years. The Fort Lauderdale-based company services the Boeing 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767 and 777. The company also provides aircraft capabilities for Airbus and an array of military and commercial aircraft.

The Medical University of South Carolina and Georgetown Hospital System have announced a formalized affiliation agreement between the hospital systems. Through this agreement, there will be increased opportunities for Georgetown patients, MUSC medical students, telemedicine and clinical trial programs.

Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) “Golden Gate Service” made its inaugural call today in the Port of Charleston, linking the Southeast’s deepest seaport with China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The first vessel in the service to call Charleston, the MSC Rita, is a 1,065-foot-long vessel with a maximum draft of 47.5 feet.

Sage Automotive Interiors Inc. has announced plans to build a new headquarters at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research. The new construction is part of a $3 million government grant. Sage provides automotive body cloth – seating, door panel surfaces and headliners – to original equipment manufacturers. Global offices and manufacturing locations include the U.S., Japan, China, Brazil, Korea and Europe.

Ladson-based Force Protection Inc. will debuts its Joint All-Terrain Modular Mobility Asset vehicle and showcase a Raydon Corp.-owned armored vehicle simulator. JAMMA, which is equipped to handle high speeds while off-road, on highways and through urban terrain, is also the only armor-ready, four-occupant, hybrid, high-performance off-road vehicle that can be transported inside the V-22 Osprey helicopter, the company said.

Hagemeyer North America (HNA) proudly announces that its Charleston, South Carolina, site supporting the aerospace segment successfully achieved AS9120 Aerospace Quality Management Certification. The certification demonstrates Hagemeyer North America’s commitment to the aerospace market. It authorizes HNA to stock local inventory of critical items required in the industry. For HNA aerospace customers the certification means just-in-time supply of materials, reducing necessary inventories, lead times, and overall costs.

Zeus, Inc., a leader in material science and polymer extrusions, announces the acquisition of AS9100 certification for aerospace applications. The standard was developed by The Society for Automotive Engineers and it defines quality and management requirements. This certification is merely one indication of Zeus’ increased presence in the aerospace industry. The company is also working directly with more suppliers to design end products for demanding applications.

BAE Systems has received a delivery order worth up to $90.6 million to provide 58 armored fighting vehicles to the U.S. Marines, the company announced. The vehicles, which are based on BAE’s RG33 line, provide protection against improvised explosive devices, medium machine gun or small arms fire, and mine blasts.

The South Carolina Film Commission has awarded a grant of $208,000 to the Film and Television Department at Trident Technical College. The grant will be used to fund industry-led seminars for South Carolina students and industry professionals to elevate production skills, create a hands-on learning environment while producing a short film for competition in national film festivals, and growing the S.C. creative cluster through collaborative production initiatives.

Hagemeyer North America (HNA) proudly announces that its Charleston, South Carolina, site supporting the aerospace segment successfully achieved AS9120 Aerospace Quality Management Certification. The certification demonstrates Hagemeyer North America’s commitment to the aerospace market. It authorizes HNA to stock local inventory of critical items required in the industry.

Sun and fun mean more than ever to South Carolina as new figures show tourism now pumps $18.4 billion into the state economy. That's up from about $16 billion in 2006, according to the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Trident Technical College has landed a $2.6 million federal stimulus grant for services that help students pursuing health care careers. Those services will promote student success, retention and employment after graduation.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce, Berkeley County and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance today announced that Gildan Activewear will locate its new retail distribution center facility in Berkeley County. Gildan’s investment is expected to generate approximately 250 new jobs this year.

FirstString Research, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of topical therapeutics for scar prevention and tissue regeneration, announces completion of its Phase I clinical trial. This clinical trial to evaluate FirstString's first commercial product, a topical gel for the prevention of scarring, was designed to look at the safety and tolerance of the product’s lead compound, the ACT-1 peptide. Based on 48 human subjects, the gel had a successful, proof of concept efficacy outcome with a clean safety profile.

Proterra Inc., which develops and assembles drive and energy storage systems for heavy-duty vehicles, including their ground-breaking BE-35 fast-charge battery-electric transit bus, today announced that it will locate a facility in Greenville County at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) for research and development as well as assembly of its products.

Charleston-based human resources software company PeopleMatter® announced that it has received $2.3 million in investment capital from Harbert Venture Partners to help the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company market its unique, peoplecentric solutions that develop and motivate employees in a way that will grow a business. PeopleMatter brings the emerging world of online “talent management” to small and mid-sized businesses. The company’s software packs the power of a Fortune 500 management system in a program that is affordable, easy to use and intended for small and mid-sized businesses.

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association honored the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau with three Adrian Awards during its annual awards ceremony. The Adrian Awards honor outstanding achievement in advertising, public relations and Web marketing in the travel industry.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare was named among the Top 100 Integrated Health Networks in the United States for 2010 by Modern Healthcare. The print magazine and online source for business news in the health care industry ranked Roper St. Francis No. 46, which puts the health care system in the top 50 for two consecutive years.

Students from all across Charleston County can attend a new aeronautical career academy at Stall High School this fall in a Boeing-spurred project. The academy comes to Charleston County School District through a $50,000 grant from Boeing. Although the concept of career academies is nothing new to the district, this one will be a bit different and a bit bigger.

The Port of Charleston’s cruise business makes broad and diverse contributions the local economy and is projected to pump $37 million into the region this year while supporting more than 400 jobs. Restaurants and hotels see positive impacts from the cruise business, yet the greatest spending occurs in transportation services, such as the ground shuttle and the port industry.

FastTracSC, an organization designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage, and grow successful businesses in South Carolina, reached a statewide milestone and celebrated achieving over 1,000 graduates. FastTracSC is a coalition of agencies with a vision of creating new businesses, new jobs and new wealth for South Carolinians through the FastTrac® entrepreneurial training programs developed by the Kauffman Foundation.

Charleston’s knowledge economy is growing at a robust pace such that the demand for highly skilled professional and technical workers is outpacing existing recruiting efforts by individual companies to supply them. With this in mind, a group of local technology companies collaborated with Charleston’s Business Development Office to conceive and launch Charleston Works™, a comprehensive workforce development initiative designed to promote Charleston as an emerging premium destination for technology professionals.

The benefits spurred by Boeing's expansion in the Lowcountry will be tangible to Charleston County students this fall with the opening of a new aeronautics academy on the Stall High School campus. Boeing has given the district a $50,000 grant to train teachers for this new program, which likely will focus on aircraft assembly technology and airframe and aircraft maintenance technology.

Energy Inc., headquartered in Charleston, has received an investment from 3M through its 3M New Ventures arm. Energy Inc. manufactures a device that measures energy use — called The Energy Detective — that was invented by company president Dolph Rodenberg. The two companies had previously been working together on research and development efforts.

The Copper Innovation Center has opened at the S.C. Research Authority in North Charleston. The joint public-private research center is an initiative of the Copper Development Association and the International Copper Association. It will encourage collaboration among government entities, research institutions, universities, industry stakeholders and nongovernmental organizations.

A new Center of Economic Excellence at the Medical University of South Carolina will focus on creating new drugs for cancer, arthritis, diabetes and other diseases. The $10 million Lipidomics, Pathobiology and Therapy Center of Economic Excellence will recruit two endowed chairs to take lipidomics research that’s already being done at MUSC and translate it into drugs, treatment and clinical research.

Nick Rigas, a wind power entrepreneur who spearheaded the state's effort to land a $98 million wind turbine test lab in North Charleston, will be the facility's director and senior scientist, Clemson University Restoration Institute officials said Wednesday.

DC Machine LLC will expand its operation in Berkeley County. The $3 million investment is expected to generate more than 25 new jobs. DC Machine will begin construction on a new 35,000 square foot building to house additional operations. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the company moved into a state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot to begin expanding capacity. The company is utilizing high-tech metal working machines to make components for the medical, aerospace, and military industries.

The Port of Charleston remains the primary export site for the BMW luxury automobiles and keeps growing. Most recently, Höegh Autoliners, an international vehicle transportation operator, added the Port of Charleston to its Middle East service and will load BMWs made at the German company's plant in Greer.

South Carolina’s biggest industry received a major boost today when one of the world’s top tourism experts, Dr. Simon Hudson, officially arrived at the University of South Carolina, recruited through the state’s Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) Program. He will lead the Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development, which is housed in USC’s College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management and affiliated with Coastal Carolina University.

ArborGen, LLC, and Range Fuels, Inc., are working together on a project to evaluate the usefulness of woody biomass as a source of cellulose for biofuels. Range Fuels is looking at a variety of non-food biomass feedstocks to see which ones might be most efficiently and economically converted to cellulosic biofuels. Cutting edge research, like that being done with Range Fuels, will help businesses determine the types of woody biomass best suited for particular green energy uses.

The S.C. State Ports Authority has taken some business from an East coast competitor that will result in two ships docking in Charleston each month. Hoegh Autoliners, based in Oslo, Norway, expects to load more than 5,000 vehicles each year, starting this month.

The five areas that Moody’s foresees home prices performing best in 2010 are: Tacoma, Wash., (an increase of 2.44%); Memphis, Tenn., (up 0.99%); Pittsburgh (up 0.89%); Charleston, S.C. (up 0.18%); and Seattle (decline of 0.50%). (These five markets are culled from data on Moody’s Economy.com and based on the largest 100 metro areas.) These pockets of the country share a few important characteristics. One is that they are starting with a limited supply of housing stock. Another is that throughout most of the decade, prices basically stayed in synch with household income, says Cochrane.

An analysis by a Dow Jones financial markets publisher has put Charleston in the Top 50 best cities in which to do business. MarketWatch scored the nation’s 101 largest metropolitan areas — those with 500,000 or more people — using 10 metrics, including five that measured companies per capita and five that looked at economic stability, including employment, growth and gross domestic product.

The BookArc, an accessory for Apple computers made by Charleston-based Twelve South, has been selected by MacWorld as one of its top 38 Great Gadgets for 2009. The product is featured on the cover of the magazine’s current issue. that holds any Apple MacBook, from MacBook Air to the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The BookArc frees up desk space and creates a cleaner, less cluttered work area by allowing the MacBook to operate while in a closed vertical position.

The state Film Commission has awarded a $208,000 grant to the film and television department at Trident Technical College. The grant will be used to fund industry-led seminars for South Carolina students and industry professionals to elevate local production and filmmaking skills. The funding was provided through the S.C. Motion Picture Incentive Act.

Zeus Inc., a global leader in material science and the manufacture of fluoropolymer tubing, announces its new state of the art advanced materials laboratory dedicated exclusively to the extrusion, analysis, and characterization of Absorv™ Bioabsorbables. Zeus has also expanded its Absorv Bioabsorbables capabilities, including precision tubing ranging from outer diameters of 0.012in to 0.250in and tolerances as tight as ± 0.0005in.