Dear Friends,
With the national and state economy still in flux, I thought it worth sharing some positive news on this front. Namely, that in just the past week we've seen more than 1000 jobs and $365 million invested in South Carolina.
 Last week, following up on the success we had last fall in attracting Boeing to South Carolina, I joined Commerce officials in traveling to the Farnborough International Airshow - the premiere international aerospace trade show held near London. We had several productive meetings with executives from Boeing, GE Aviation, and BAE Systems, with the highlight of the Airshow being the international unveiling of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. As you know, the Dreamliner will be assembled right here in South Carolina, and we were taken on a tour of this incredibly impressive plane by Boeing President and CEO Jim McNerney. We also met with a number of corporate executives and decision-makers in mainland Europe, again promoting South Carolina as an attractive place for global companies to put down roots.
The trip paid off, as we actually secured a commitment from ZF, a German auto-parts  manufacturer, to create 900 jobs and invest $350 million in a new manufacturing facility in Laurens County - the largest jobs announcement in Laurens County history. This represents yet another dividend from our continued efforts to improve business soil conditions, and one North Carolina newspaper admitted that as a state, South Carolina is outpacing the competition in the race for jobs and capital investment: "Contrast [N.C. Commerce Secretary] Crisco's trip with South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's European visit. Sanford on Thursday scored big when German auto supplier ZF Group announced that it will open a $350 million transmission plant in his state and create 900 jobs… South Carolina was chosen from more than a dozen states."
There was more good news this past Monday, when I had the chance to welcome Florida-based Astra/CFX and Texas-based Independent Pipe Products as they opened facilities in Greer and Abbeville respectively - representing a total of $16 million in capital investment and creating more than 125 jobs.
Back in October of 2009, when Boeing had just announced it would put a second assembly line in North Charleston, I cautioned that this was no time for South Carolina to rest on its laurels. Instead, we needed to redouble our efforts. That's exactly what we've been doing, and I'm proud to say we're continuing to meet with success.
I hope the rest of your summer treats you well, and thank you again for all you do.
Sincerely,
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