The Charleston metro ranks 5^th in the U.S. for high-tech industry output—right alongside Austin, Raleigh, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. In our latest Charleston | SC | USA Tech Overview video, we asked executives from Charleston’s top tech firms why they chose Charleston.

“I can bike. I can scooter to work. I can do it 365 days a year.”

Andrew Roskill, CEO of BiblioLabs

Andrew Roskill, CEO of BiblioLabs, cites Charleston’s great weather and miles of coastline as major factors in his ability to maintain a work-life balance. BiblioLabs is revolutionizing the publishing world by curating and publishing content in digital form.

“All it took was one trip.”

Dana Collier, Human Resources Director, Blackbaud

Five days in Charleston equalled love at first sight. So Dana relocated from Seattle to accept her role as Human Resources Director at Blackbaud. The company, a leading provider of software and services for nonprofits, moved to Charleston from New York 25 years ago.

“A wonderful place for innovation-based businesses to grow.”

Robert Prioleau, Strategy Director & Founding Partner, Blue Ion

After stints in Austin and Atlanta, Robert Prioleau, chose to found his digital marketing agency, Blue Ion, in Charleston. He believes Charleston’s creative community of writers, photographers, performers, designers and artists creates a vibrant place for companies to thrive.

“I can’t think of any community I’d rather be in.”

Ernest Andrade, Director, Charleston Digital Corridor

As director of the Charleston Digital Corridor, his organization helps attract, nurture and promote the City of Charleston’s wealth of knowledge by making it a priority to facilitate an environment for technology companies to thrive.

As you can see, Charleston’s tech sector is gaining traction and becoming a major hub for talent. Festivals like DigSouth provide a new venue to collaborate, get noticed and launch new ventures.

From start-ups to big players such as Google and Boeing, all companies in Charleston can agree that it’s “all about balance here.”

To learn more about Charleston’s growing tech sector, and find ways you can plug in, visit http://www.crda.org/industries/advanced_security_it/.