March 4, 2020

By Lynn Demos

The lifeblood of business is connectivity. Just about every business has customers and suppliers located all over the world. Charleston | South Carolina offers seamless connections to global markets, which I’m constantly reminded during my daily 20-minute commute that perfectly showcases our region’s logistical assets.

Driving onto Interstate-526 from Daniel Island, the presence of the Port of Charleston is immediately noticeable. There’s always a container truck with a logistics company logo on the side next to me, from Mediterranean Shipping Company to Maersk to China Express and beyond … the whole world is shipping to and from Charleston! The nation’s most efficient seaport, Port of Charleston offers the deepest harbor in the south Atlantic (soon to be the deepest on the East Coast!), and it only takes a company 29 days to ship from Shanghai to Atlanta through Charleston. Using our port just makes good business sense.

As I go over the Don Holt Bridge towards North Charleston, I pass a pretty spectacular view of the Port terminals and Charleston’s skyline, as well as the railroad tracks connecting our community to the rest of the United States. Our region is fortunate to be dual-rail served by both CSX and Norfolk Southern. By using rail, products can travel from the Charleston Port to Inland Port Greer in one day. From Greer, products are halfway between Charlotte and Atlanta and within 500 miles of 94 million consumers!

The final stretch of my commute passes by the Interstate-26 interchange, which connects Charleston to South Carolina’s Midlands and Upstate as well as to Interstate-95, which runs from Florida to Maine along the East Coast.

The I-26 interchange is also near another key logistical asset: the Charleston International Airport. I personally like to take advantage of the multiple, nonstop, (and affordable!) daily flights to Washington, DC and New York City to easily go see my favorite people. For business travel, the Charleston International Airport’s options can’t be beat. Seasonal direct flights to London and the West Coast, and regular nonstop flights to major hubs like Atlanta and Charlotte, all in a beautiful, clean, easily navigable airport? You just can’t beat Charleston’s connectivity!

Now that I’ve arrived at work and booted up my computer, I can tell you Charleston doesn’t skimp on high-speed broadband. Businesses and consumers have multiple options, numerous parks are WiFi-enabled, and investments are underway to broaden rural access across our three counties as well.

Want to learn more about opportunities in Charleston to locate your business, invest in scaling companies, or find your next job opportunity? Visit charlestoneconomicdevelopment.com.

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