Our tour begins at the center of commerce on the East Coast: the junction of I-95 and I-20. You’re within a day’s drive of 14 major markets and roughly 30% of the US population. On average, between 25-50 million tons of freight pass through this junction every year!

Want to learn more about NESA’s great location and why it matters? Click HERE, or continue the tour by hitting the arrow below.

NESA is the exact mid-way point between New York City and Miami, FL. Travel 635 miles North or South from this exact spot and you’ll hit each respective market. That might be why those folks across the interstate are located here: Honda of South Carolina. Honda’s more than 1,200 highly skilled employees manufacture recreational vehicles at this Florence County facility. If Honda has found success in the NESA region for more than 25 years, you can,too.

Did we mention the site across the interstate from Honda is available for purchase and development? Check it out, along with our other available properties, by clicking HERE, or continue to our next stop on the tour.

In NESA, world commerce is at your fingertips thanks to Inland Port Dillon. Owned and operated by the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), Dillon is part of the most productive port infrastructures in the U.S. Though it’s over 130 miles inland from the deep-water Port of Charleston – connected by the CSX operated Class 1 rail line – IPD provides the benefits of being harbor side at a fraction of the cost.

Harbor Freight Tools, the Inland Port’s anchor tenant, continues to grow here, operating a 3 million square foot distribution facility.

More than 3,000 acres of industrial property are available around Inland Port Dillon for development, including several industrial buildings for lease at competitive rates.

For more on NESA’s great infrastructure, head to the next stop on the tour.

NESA’s superior infrastructure gives companies flexibility beyond immediate interstate access. Rail and four-lane highways crisscross the region and can be a winning combination. Case-in-point: DSM Nutritional Products, in Kingstree, SC. Located 25 miles from the nearest interstate, DSM is on the four-lane Hwy. 52, has direct rail service and is in Williamsburg County where the cost of living is nearly 20% below the national average. So, the money earned by the 220 employees at DSM goes much further than other places in the country.

Plus, DSM isn't far from South Carolina’s #1 tourist destination and fastest growing metro: Myrtle Beach.

Every year, more than 20 million visitors put their toes in the sand on vacation in Myrtle Beach and many decide to make a home here. Myrtle Beach has been the second fastest growing metro area in the United States for four consecutive years (2016-2020, U.S. Census Bureau). Visitors and residents alike utilize the Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), the largest airport in the NESA region, with direct commercial flights to more markets than any other airport in South Carolina.

Oh, and there’s property with runway access available for purchase or lease! Check that out by clicking HERE, or get a better idea of what NESA living is really like at our next tour stop.

Steeped in history, charm and industry, the City of Georgetown was founded in 1729 and captures all the benefits of living in the NESA region.

Beyond Georgetown’s scenic downtown on the boardwalk and views of the Atlantic Ocean, there are several industries who have found great success here. That includes International Paper, which has called Georgetown home since 1937 and today is the county’s largest manufacturer employer with 800 personnel.

Like the rest of the region, Georgetown is in proximity to larger markets, Myrtle Beach to the north, and Charleston to the south.

Explore what makes each of our counties special by visiting the Our Counties tab on our website HERE. Or, you can learn about our region’s most valuable resource on the tour’s next stop.

NESA has the best people around, and thanks to our education and training powerhouses they have the knowledge and skills manufacturing employers need. The flagship of manufacturing training is the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT). It’s one of three advanced manufacturing centers in the NESA region, and all three are part of the South Carolina Technical College System. ReadySC – the state’s award winning workforce development program – as well as its sister program, Apprenticeship Carolina, are run through the technical college system. Those are just two of South Carolina’s many workforce training programs that are consistently rated among the best in the nation.

Visit NESA’s workforce training page HERE to learn about the many workforce training opportunities our region has to offer, including the three universities and four technical colleges. Head to the next tour stop to learn about what gives NESA it’s real power.

Power makes winners, in NASCAR or manufacturing. We know about both in the NESA region.

Darlington County is home to one of NASCAR’s most storied events: the Southern 500. With an economic impact of roughly $53 million, the race is one of South Carolina’s single largest economic events each year and the only professional sporting event held in the state.

Just up the road from the racetrack is power of a different kind. The H.B. Robinson Nuclear Plant, operated by Duke Energy, is one of four nuclear power plants in South Carolina. Robinson is a symbol for the NESA region’s reliable and cost effective electricity found throughout the nine counties. Whether you’re served by Duke Energy – or any of the five rural electric cooperatives – you’ll be powered to success in NESA.

Learn more about electricity and other utilities by visiting the Utilities portion of our website HERE, or head to our next stop to see how NESA really can give companies bang for their buck. 

Bennettsville is a sleepy little town of about 8,000 people in Marlboro County, which is over 26,000 people. So, it might surprise you to know that the labor shed for this county is actually 300,000. That might be the reason why companies like Domtar have found a home here. That labor draw is indicative of the entire NESA region. You see, even though the nine counties have a population of around 800,000 people, our labor draw is over 2.2 million. We punch above our weight here in the NESA region.

In the northern reaches of the NESA region sits Pageland, South Carolina. Part of Chesterfield County, Pageland is actually part of the Charlotte metro area. Yes, Charlotte is in the 'Other Carolina,' but, that’s sort of the point. The Walmart Distribution Center in Pageland has over 980 employees and takes hundreds of trucks a day. They’re taking product all along the east coast, including Charlotte; however, Walmart is taking advantage of South Carolina and NESA’s superior business climate, plus they’ve escaped the crowds and cost of that big metro across the border. But they still enjoy access to all its amenities, including the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, which is less than 50 miles north.

Only one more stop left on our tour, and it may be the most important yet! Check out the final and most important reason why NESA is the region for you.

The last stop on our tour is the center of the NESA region: Marion, South Carolina. From the Marion County Industrial Park, you can see all the benefits NESA has to offer. The growing metro of Myrtle Beach to the east, Florence and the Junction of I-95 and I-20 to the west. North, is the global trade offered by Inland Port Dillon and South the rich cultural center of Charleston. You’re at the center of commerce on the east coast, in an area where the cost of doing business is well below the national average, but with access to plentiful skilled workforce and big city amenities. It’s the middle of everywhere. It’s NESA: South Carolina’s Business Corner.

To learn more about NESA, our competitive advantages, available properties and how we can help you Put Success in Your Corner, contact us today at 843-661-4669 or by email at info@nesasc.org!