South Carolina prides itself for being “pro business,” and Aiken exemplifies that pride to the fullest.
Since 2000, Aiken has received more than $1.8 billion in economic investments – proof of just how appealing Aiken is to businesses.
Washington Savannah River Company is Aiken County’s largest employer and one of the largest in the state. The company has more than 8,890 employees. Bridgestone/Firestone South Carolina, Kimberly Clark Corporation, Dixie-Narco, Inc., and Shaw Industries have invested heavily in Aiken County and generate a healthy economic impact.
International companies like Advanced Glassfiber Yarn, GlaxoSmithKline, Rieter Automotive Systems North America, and Metso Paper USA help put Aiken on the global industrial map.
Employment in Aiken County is diverse. The area’s largest employment sector is professional and business services, which employs 41 percent of the workforce. Manufacturing employs 16 percent, government 13 percent, construction 10 percent, wholesale and retail 7 percent, education and health services 6 percent, financial services 3 percent, leisure and hospitality 2 percent, and transportation and warehousing 2 percent.
Aiken’s total civilian labor force is 66,753, and its unemployment rate is 4.9 percent.
There are a number of factors that attract industry to the Aiken area. The first is a strong workforce, bolstered by high-quality training programs at Aiken Technical College and a diverse selection of quality baccalaureate and graduate programs at the University of South Carolina Aiken.
Another factor is simple – geographical logistics. Aiken is conveniently located right off of I-20. It is also in close proximity to two commercial airports – Augusta Regional Airport in August, Georgia, and Columbia Metropolitan Airport in Columbia, South Carolina. Aiken Municipal Airport, which accommodates corporate jets is also close by. In addition, two railway companies and 40 trucking lines provide additional infrastructure muscle. This accessibility makes business travel and commerce transportation that much easier.
Aiken County is focused on the future and fosters a close relationship with existing industries, providing the support needed to ensure the businesses are successful – and that they stay and continue to invest – in the region. The result is that several Aiken-based industries have expanded their operations and others have expressed the intent to do the same. In 2005, this expansion resulted in more than $57 million in capital investments and more than 160 new jobs, according to the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
Another key component in Aiken’s future is making sure that business people, citizens, elected officials – everyone – works together and works with the same goal in mind: to make sure that Aiken and the surrounding region reaches its full potential.
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