Announcement: New webpage highlights efforts to improve appearance of roadways

Spartanburg County’s major roadways are the entrances to our community. These thoroughfares frequently color visitors’ first impression of Spartanburg County, affecting tourism and economic development.

Spartanburg County is fortunate t...

GoUpstate: Official to Roll Out Plan for Southwest Spartanburg County

By Bob Montgomery, GoUpstate

Photo by Alex Hicks Jr., Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Changes are coming to the rapidly growing southwestern portion of Spartanburg County, and a new performance zoning plan that officials say seeks to welcome growth while maintai...

GoUpstate: Magna Seating Celebrates $8M Expansion

Photo by: Zach Pippin, Governor's Office

Article by: GoUpstate Staff Reports

BMW supplier Magna Seating of Moore celebrated the opening of an $8 million expansion that will create 130 new jobs, officials announced Monday.

Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, th...

GoUpstate: Magna Seating Planning $8M Expansion, 130 New Jobs

Photo by, Herald-Journal/GoUpstate

Article by, Bob Montgomery, GoUpstate

A BMW supplier that recently opened in Spartanburg County is already planning to expand.

Magna Seating at Tyger Industrial Park North has asked the county for $120,000 in additional inf...

Upstate Business Journal: Michelin, SCC Introduce "Learn and Earn" Scholars Program

By Trevor Anderson, UBJ

Spartanburg Community College and Greenville-based Michelin North America have partnered to offer a new scholars program aimed at bolstering workforce development in the Upstate.

According to both groups, the SCC Michelin Manufacturi...

OneSpartanburg Checks Progress, Looks to Grow

By Elise Franco, GoUpstate

In its first year, OneSpartanburg launched 22 projects and put irons in the fire for continued forward movement.

But Allen Smith, Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, and the initiative’s 312 volunteer...

GoUpstate: BMW's Spartanburg Plant Leads US in Auto Exports

By Elise Franco, GoUpstate

When BMW Manufacturing Co. moved into Spartanburg County in 1994, it was a 600-person operation. Now, it’s the leading automotive exporter in the United States.

It’s the plant’s ability to bring inter...

Penny Sales Tax Information

Important update for retailers on the penny sales tax

Spartanburg County retailers who have questions about the implementation of the capital penny sales tax are encouraged to contact the S.C. Department of Revenue.

The one cent sales tax will begin May 1, ...

GoUpstate: Michelin Moves to Second Phase of $270M Project

By Bob Montgomery, GoUpstate

Greenville-based Michelin North America has moved into the second phase of a $270 million project to build a 3.3 million-square-foot distribution center in Spartanburg County that is expected to create 350 jobs.

The tire maker a...

GoUpstate: Greer Tops $1.3B in Retail Sales in 2017

By Staff Reports

Greer’s continued growth led to the city passing $1.3 billion in retail sales this fiscal year.

S.C. Department of Revenue data showed Greer recorded a record $1,302,896,294 in gross retail sales during the 2017 fiscal year. The figure is a...

Go-Upstate: BMW Planning Regional Training Center in Greer

By Bob Montgomery, Staff Writer

Staff Writer, Elise Franco contributed to this report

BMW of North America has submitted plans to Spartanburg County to build a vocational training center at a site on Woods Chapel Road in Greer.

The BMW Southern Regional Trai...

American Farm Bureau Federation Selects New National Committee Members

AFBF Seats New National Committee Members

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 21, 2017 – The American Farm Bureau Federation has appointed farmer and rancher members to the organization’s Young Farmers & Ranchers and Promotion & Education committees.

“Grassr...

Upstate Biz SC: Tindall Announces New Vice President of its South Carolina Division

By Upstate Biz SC

Tindall Corporation, a national leader in precast, prestressed concrete structures, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Britt to the position of Vice President and General Manager of the South Carolina Division. David will be ...

GoUpstate: Downtown Development Pushes Boundaries of City's Center

Photo by Tim Kimzey, Spartanburg Herald Journal

By Alyssa Mullinger, Staff Writer

There’s hardly a block in downtown Spartanburg today where you won’t find economic development taking place. Whether it’s the construction of new...

GoUpstate: Spartanburg Chamber Launches Diversity Initiative

By Elise Franco, Staff Writer

A new initiative by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce aims to invest in building a community that is more economically cohesive and inclusive.

The three-pronged initiative, announced Tuesday during the Spencer Hines Prop...

GoUpstate: Latest BMW Manufacturing Production Numbers

By Staff Reports

For the week of Nov. 5-11, BMW Manufacturing Co. produced 8,109 cars in Spartanburg County.

Of those, 2,543 were X3s; 743 were X4s; 3,959 were X5s; and 864 were X6s.

So far this year, the German automaker has built 321,424 cars in the Upstat...

GoUpstate: Arcadia Mill No. 1 set for Renovation into Loft Apartments

By Chris Lavender, Staff Writer

Renovation of Arcadia Mill No. 1 on Hayne Street is expected to begin in February, transforming the historic site into 70 loft apartments and providing space for the arts.

Georgia developer Pace Burt said he plans to invest a...

GoUpstate: County Manufacturing Jobs Hit Pre-Recession Levels

by Elise Franco, Staff Writer

Manufacturing jobs in Spartanburg County have reached a 10-year high.

Will Rothschild, vice president of strategic communications for the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, said data released in June by the Bureau of Labor S...

GSA Business Report: Albis Plastics Corp. Opens $14 Million Plant in Duncan

Staff Report

A Germany-based polymer manufacturer opened a $14 million plant in Duncan.

Albis Plastics Corp. started production in July and plans to add up to 60 new jobs at the site in the next few years. The company said it plans to manufacture 30 million...

Upstate Business Journal: Albis Plastics Corp. Opens New Compounding Facility in Duncan

by Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Texas-based Albis Plastics Corp. celebrated the opening of its new compounding plant in Spartanburg County.

The $14 million, 20,000-square-foot facility, adjacent to the 250,000-square-foot Albis Barnet Polymer p...

GoUpstate: Job Growth in Spartanburg County Exceeds Rest of Upstate

By: Chris Lavender, Staff Writer

Job growth in Spartanburg County continues to outpace most other regions in the state.

Since June 2016 the county has added more than 4,300 jobs, and with 2.9 percent job growth, it leads the Upstate, according to a report f...

Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce: Spartanburg County Manufacturing Employment Hits 10-Year High

by Will Rothschild

Spartanburg County manufacturing employment has hit a 10-year high, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Thirty-thousand people were employed in the manufacturing sector in June, according to the lat...

Marketplace: The Place Where Globalization Kept its Promise

By Kai Ryssdal and Bridget Bodnar

Twenty-five years ago, the going economic idea was that globalization would make the entire world rich. Countries wouldn’t try to make everything, instead, they would make what they were best at, export those goo...

GoUpstate: Brose Celebrates Opening of Duncan Plant

By: Bob Montgomery, Staff Writer

BMW supplier Brose North America celebrated the opening of its new $6 million manufacturing plant in Duncan.

“I am proud to say Brose Spartanburg is now operational,” plant general manager Michael Morgenr...

Upstate Business Journal: Rudolph Logistics Group Announces Caliber North Facility

by: Trevor Anderson

Spartanburg County’s automotive sector has attracted another international logistics provider.

Germany-based Rudolph Logistics Group announced Monday it plans to invest $18 million to establish its first U.S. warehousing operat...

Area Development: Adhesive Materials Manufacturer Ritrama Expands Moore, South Carolina Plant

by:  Area Development News Desk

Ritrama, an adhesive materials manufacturer, will invest $15 million to expand its existing manufacturing facility in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

The company’s latest investment at the facility, whi...

GoUpstate: Study shows SC best place for manufacturing

By Bob Montgomery, Spartanburg Herald Journal

South Carolina is well-positioned to win the battle for jobs as the United States works to lure manufacturing companies from overseas, a new report says.

The Palmetto State ranks the lowest in the nation in annu...

GreenvilleOnline: BMW Brings Tastes, Sounds of Europe to the Upstate

By: Anna B. Mitchell, Staff

The impact that BMW has had on the Upstate’s economy since breaking ground in Greer 25 years ago is unmistakable – a 2014 study by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business e...

GreenvileOnline: Robots Part of Workforce Evolution at BMW

(Photo: JOSH MORGAN/Staff)

By: Abe Hardesty, Staff

When he joined the BMW production staff in 1994, Chad Johnson had never built a car. Nor had anyone else on that original crew.

"We were used-car salesmen, cooks, college kids, mechanics, cotton mill wo...

GoUpstate: BMW to invest $600M, create another 1,000 jobs in Spartanburg

Photo by: Alex Hicks, Jr./Spartanburg Herald-Journal

By Bob Montgomery, Staff Writer

BMW Chief Executive Officer Harald Krueger said Monday that his company will invest another $600 million in Plant Spartanburg and create another 1,000 jobs here over the ne...

GreenvilleOnline: BMW May Drive Growth for Suppliers

BMW May Drive Growth for Suppliers by David Dykes

"The automotive industry in the U.S., especially here in the Southeast, is growing," Stefan Bude, president and chief financial officer for DAA Draexlmaier Automotive of America, told The Greenvil...

GreenvilleOnline: BMW's Lasting Impact

(Photo: FRED ROLLISON/File)

BMW’s Lasting Impact by Maayan Schechter

The BMW effect on the Upstate and the entire state of South Carolina is hard to miss.

While billions of dollars have been funneled directly and indirectly into the state, the cultural influ...

7 News WSPA.com: 25th Anniversary of BMW

File Photo

It’s a big week for Spartanburg County.

This week marks the 25th anniversary of BMW’s announcement that it was coming to the county.

Council members also announced this week the creation of 420 new jobs from 4 companies looking to locate here, and...

GoUpstate: Councilman Brown selected for national panel to discuss mental health care in jails

By: Daniel Gross, Spartanburg Herald Journal

Spartanburg County Councilman Michael Brown will visit Washington, D.C., Wednesday to discuss efforts to improve treatment for inmates with a mental illness. The Council of State Governments has invited Brown to...

CBS: "U.S. losing to Germany in trade? South Carolina community doesn't think so"

By David Begnaud CBS News

President Trump’s tweet about trade with Germany struck a nerve in a southern state he won: South Carolina.

"This is one of those cases where the president should have gotten his facts first before he went on attack because it...

Drayton Mills Expected to Help Boost Spartanburg's Economy

By:  Bob Montgomery, Staff Writer        Staff writer Alyssa Mulliger contributed to this story

The economic impact of the $60 million Drayton Mills project will be huge by stimulating job growth and boosting th...

SC Commerce News Release: BMW Receives 2017 Industry Impact Award

As part of the 26th annual Industry Appreciation series, the S.C. Department of Commerce recognized its 2017 Industry Impact Award recipients during an event on Thursday, May 11 at The Hall at Senate’s End in Columbia, S.C. Honoring businesses t...

Palmetto Business Daily: Data Shows Spartanburg County Leads in Foreign-Owned Businesses

by Palmetto Business Daily Reports - File Photo

GoUpstate recently announced Spartanburg County is now home to 207 foreign-owned businesses and companies.

“The Upstate’s density of foreign-owned firms outranks that of the United States, ...

GoUpstate: Foreign Investment Helps Diversify County Economy

By Bob Montgomery, GoUpstate 

The world is on to Spartanburg County.

An area once dependent on textiles is now home to 207 businesses and companies that are foreign-owned — a far cry from the 1980s and 1990s when only a handful of such co...

7 News WSPA: Councilman Promotes Spartanburg During Japan Visit

By Brianna Smith, WSPA.com

Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt is looking to expand the workforce in Spartanburg, with international companies.

Three Japanese companies have announced ventures in Spartanburg County over the past few years, including K...

GoUpstate: Chemical Manufacturer Bringing 53 Jobs to Spartanburg

By Chris Lavender, GoUpstate.com

New jobs are coming to Wingo Park in Spartanburg County.

Michigan-based Pacific Industrial Development Corp. plans to invest $9,75 million and create 53 new full-time jobs. The company plans to manufacture specialized chemic...

USC Upstate-Watershed Ecology Center: Discover Your Watershed Event

By Watershed Ecology Center, USC Upstate

Discover Your Watershed is a family friendly annual event sponsored by SJWD Water District, Spartanburg County Storm Water and the Spartanburg Water Quality Partners. It is a great time to come out to the lake and t...

Greenville Business Magazine: Turn up the Volume: Spartanburg Music Trail

By Greenville Business Magazine

Visitors can now listen to and learn more about some of Spartanburg County's most famous musicians on the Spartanburg Music Trail.

The Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) has partnered with the Hub Ci...

Upstate Business Journal: Tourism Officials Unveil Digital Tour of Local Agricultural Destinations

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Spartanburg County residents and visitors have a new digital tool that will help them find agricultural activities in the community.

The Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) announced it has launched...

Upstate Business Journal: Lear will Invest $7.7m to Expand Spartanburg Operations

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

BMW supplier Lear Corp. announced Thursday it will invest $7.7 million to expand its operations in Spartanburg County.

The company said the funds will cover facility improvements and new manufacturing equipment a...

GoUpstate: BMW Says it's Top US Auto Exporter by Value

By Bob Montgomery, Staff Writer

BMW Manufacturing on Wednesday laid claim to being the nation's top automobile exporter by value in 2016, due to its U.S. manufacturing plant in Spartanburg County.

In a statement, the company said 287,700 X models f...

GoUpstate: BMW X Models Boost January Sales

By staff reports, Spartanburg Herald Journal

Sales of BMW X models made in Spartanburg County helped boost the total number of BMW

brand vehicles sold in January, the company announced.

“The increased availability of the highly popular BMW X models...

GoUpstate: Spartanburg County Residents Invited to Walk with Elected Officials

By Staff Reports, Spartanburg Herald Journal

Photo care of: The Tryon Daily Bulletin

County Council members Bob Walker, Justin Bradley, and David Britt along with other elected officials from six municipalities and Spartanburg County government have agreed ...

A Chinese Chemical Manufacturer Plans to Open a $13 million Facility in Spartanburg County, Creating

Photo care of: Upstate Business Journal.

Pacific Industrial Development Corp., a specialty chemical manufacturer, announced the company will be moving into two buildings at 5396 N. Blackstock Road.

The company's plan "to repurpose an existing ...

Lear Corporation expanding operations in Spartanburg County

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Lear Corporation, a leading global supplier of automotive seating, is expanding its existing operations in Spartanburg County to accommodate its continued growth. The company will be adding additional equipment and upgr...

GoUpstate: Berrang celebrates opening of Spartanburg distribution center

By Bob Montgomery, Spartanburg Herald Journal

German auto parts maker celebrated the opening of its new facility, a 60,000-square-foot distribution center at Velocity Park next to its largest customer and compatriot, BMW. Berrang Inc. relocated from Greenv...

Upstate Business Journal: Gateway improvement plans progress in Spartanburg

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

A grassroots effort aimed at improving gateways to the city and county of Spartanburg took a step forward. Construction crews placed a new sign bearing the Spartanburg County seal on the northbound side of Inter...

Upstate Business Journal: Center for Business and Entrepreneurial Development gives Spartanburg Coun

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Local officials believe the facility is one of the most important tools in the county’s repertoire of economic development assets that has continued to attract new investment and, perhaps most importan...

Upstate Business Journal: Brose announces $6M investment in new Spartanburg facility

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Spartanburg Community College’s Center for Business and Entrepreneurial Development received another major vote of confidence. Automotive supplier Brose North America Inc. announced it will invest $6 m...

Upstate Business Journal: Röchling Automotive USA plans to add 12,000 square feet of office space

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

An automotive supplier in Spartanburg County has beefed up its expansion plans to accommodate growth in customer demand and new business. Röchling Automotive USA LLP, a subsidiary of Germany-based R&...

Upstate Business Journal: Ritrama announces $85 million investment in Spartanburg County

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

The economic development project in Spartanburg County codenamed “Apollo 17” has officially landed. Ritrama, the Italian chemical company previously connected to the project, announced its pl...

Upstate Business Journal: International Mold investing $6.2 million to bring plant, 60 jobs in Spart

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

BMW supplier International Mold Corp. announced more details about its new plant in Spartanburg County. Upstate Business Journal initially reported on June 30 that the Michigan-based company planned to build the ...

Upstate Business Journal: Holroyd Precision Rotors opens first U.S. plant in Spartanburg

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Spartanburg County added another company to its roll of international businesses on Friday. British manufacturer Holroyd Precision Rotors officially opened its new 35,000-square-foot facility at 130 Corporate Dr...

Upstate Business Journal: From Adidas to Amazon, distribution center upward trend is set to continue

By: Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

The Upstate’s inventory of major distribution centers has continued to expand during the past decade. Companies including Adidas, Rite Aid, TechTronic Industries, Dollar Tree, Dollar General and Amazon have nea...

Upstate Business Journal: Advanced Ceramic Coatings opening new facility in Spartanburg County

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Spartanburg County’s specialty chemicals sector has landed another high-flyer. Hickory, N.C.-based Advanced Ceramic Coatings (ACC), a joint venture between Ohio-based GE Aviation and Turbocoating Corp....

Upstate Business Journal: Magna breaks ground on new $29 million seating plant in Spartanburg County

By: Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Canadian automotive supplier Magna International officially broke ground on its new $29 million seating plant in Spartanburg County. The 230,000-square-foot facility is under construction on about 20 acres betw...

Upstate Business Journal: Michelin distribution center site plans filed

By Trevor Anderson, Upstate Business Journal

Site plans have been filed for the first two warehouses of Greenville-based Michelin North America’s proposed 3.9 million-square-foot distribution centers in Spartanburg County. The plans, filed on Dec. 9, show ...