Southeastern U.S. continues to draw aerospace companies and talent

July 10, 2018

I recently spoke at the inaugural U.S. Southeast Aerospace and Defense Conference. The panel topic was Developing Aerospace Clusters in the Southeast and included my counterparts from the Gulf states: Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.  We addressed several topics related to our individual states, as well as the challenges and opportunities related to growing an aerospace cluster.

As an emerging aerospace hub, Charleston is nimble, flexible, business-friendly and focused on rapidly building a healthy ecosystem. This was a point of differentiation from the other panelists with mature markets who have collaborated on competitive projects.

The Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) works closely with our partners at Boeing and other aerospace suppliers in the three-county Charleston region to be a catalyst.  For 10+ years, we have worked to understand the 787 manufacturing process and developed a strategy focused on attracting the capabilities necessary to build the supply base and support the long-term growth of Boeing and other major aerospace companies.

An available, skilled workforce is the number one issue for companies today and the single biggest challenge for communities across the globe. Even with recent successes such as Boeing, Volvo, and Daimler expanding in the market, Charleston’s regional labor pool offers more opportunities for continued business growth. From 2010 – 2016, it has grown 4 times faster than the U.S. average and twice as fast as South Carolina’s average.

Population growth: 28 new people move to the region each day

Young, innovative workforce: Boeing SC leads enterprise-wide for invention disclosure submittals per capita

Quality of life: Voted #1 U.S. City by Condé Nast Traveler readers 8 years in a row

Want to connect and discuss opportunities for business and talent in Charleston?

My contact information is listed below and you can also find me at two upcoming events:
Farnborough Air Show (July 16-22)
SC Aerospace Industry Conference (October 9-10)

Contact Us:
Phone: 843.767.9300
Email: [email protected]

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