Aerospace Industry

The sky's the limit for South Carolina

Home to more than 180 aerospace-related companies employing more than 23,000 people, South Carolina has a strong, rapidly growing aerospace industry — growth that is projected to exceed 42% within the next five years.

Access to reliable and affordable electric energy, as well as a diverse mix of energy sources including hydroelectric, nuclear, coal and natural gas, makes South Carolina attractive to global leaders. Industry giant Boeing selected South Carolina for its final assembly and composite manufacturing facility in North Charleston. Now, South Carolina is one of 3 sites in the world building wide-body passenger jets.

In addition to its rich natural resources, some of South Carolina’s appealing qualities include:

• A right-to-work state, South Carolina ranks second lowest in the U.S. for both total workforce unionization and manufacturing workforce unionization.
• The state has a variety of incentives such as tax credits, training and other financial assistance offers.
• South Carolina features several military installations important to the aerospace industry, including:
  • Fort Jackson (Military Entrance Processing Command), Columbia
  • Joint Base Charleston (Charleston Air Force Base), Charleston
  • Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort
  • Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island
  • McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Eastover
  • Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter
  • SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston