Former South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt often said, “We make things in South Carolina.”
The same can be said of Anderson County, according to Burriss Nelson, director of Anderson County Economic Development.
The county, situated in the northwest reach of the Upstate, is home to over 200 manufacturers of tires, medical devices, automotive parts, power tools, floor care, outdoor equipment, and much more.
As the list of manufacturers and industries continues to grow, so does the county’s future manufacturing workforce. That is due partly to access to manufacturing job-ready skills and technical career pathways provided by Anderson County high schools and two career centers.
While other counties hover in the 16 percent range, with service sector and education taking the bigger chunks of the labor force, Anderson County’s manufacturing labor force is approximately 22 percent.