Together we build a world-class City

1. WORLD-CLASSCITY

2. WELCOMETOCOLUMBIA
Mayor Steve Benjamin
.
. .
.
.
City of Columbia

3. Home to state government, six major
universities including the University of South
Carolina (over 33,000 students), and the
nation's largest Army training facility.
WELCOMETOCOLUMBIA
ECONOMIC
Columbia
Columbia, SC is one of the fastest growing cities in
the Southeast and an ideal location for commercial
development thanks to our world class workforce
and high quality of life.
DEVELOPMENT

4. COLUMBIA’S MAJOR EMPLOYERS
MAJOREMPLOYERSINCOLUMBIA

5. One of the top 5 highway systems in the US.
Columbia is located halfway between New
York City and Miami and within a 24 hour
drive time of 66% of the total US population.
Over 64,000 miles of toll-free roadway across
the state of South Carolina.
LOCATION-COLUMBIA,SC
Washington, DC
New YorkDetroit
Chicago
Miami
95
26
20
77 85
Atlanta
Charlotte
Port of Charleston
Raleigh
Knoxville

6. 10 Reasons to Relocate
Your Business
Columbia is an
attractive location
for companies
looking to relocate
or expand their
business.
1. Proximity to clients/markets
2. Favorable legal and regulatory environment
3. Stable and promising political environment
4. Positive business environment
5. Favorable overall tax environment
6. Access to human capital
7. Lower cost of operations
8. Transparent and easy market access
9. Proximity to production facilities
10. Access to distribution channels
RELOCATINGYOURBUSINESSTOCOLUMBIA

7. 4 technical colleges
6 independent senior colleges
Nationallyranked
research university
T R A I N I N G
WORKFORCE
TRAINING
C o m p e t i n g G l o b a l l y
HIRING
DEMAND
Business
Service
TECHNOLOGY
Knowledge
TRAINING
COLUMBIA w o r k f o r c e
WORKFORCE
COLUMBIA, SC
Service
TRAINING
Competing Globally
DEMAND
B u s i n e s s
Service
E M P L O Y E D
DEMAND
WORKFORCE
Competing Globally
SC Trains
Business
Knowledge
Business
TRAINING
DEMAND
Competing Globally
Business
SC
TALENTEDWORKFORCE
ORLD-CLASS
KILLED
The University of
South Carolina
Moore School of
Business is
for having the
#1
International
Business Degrees
Program.
workforce training programs available to
qualified employers at a minimal cost.
readySC is one of the
nation’s premier
recognized
TRAINING

8. No sales tax on manufacturing
No state property/local income tax
No unitary tax on worldwide profits
A 5% corporate income tax rate
We offer a wealth of opportunities so that businesses can maintain low operating costs
No wholesale tax or inventory tax
CORPORATE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
Growth is necessary
for successful
businesses.
Columbia, SC offers a
variety of tools to
help businesses
succeed.
COMPETITIVEADVANTAGE

9. $33,199
$32,841
$30,667
$0
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
OUTPUTGROSSPRODUCT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1. Columbia, SC
2. Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
3. Charleston-North Charleston, SC
4. Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
5. Myrtle Beach-Conway-N. Myrtle, SC
6. Spartanburg, SC
7. Florence, SC
8. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC
9. Sumter, SC
1.4% from
2012
2% from
2012 1.5% from
2012
Metropolitan Area, 2012-2013
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
2013
2012
M
M
M
ECONOMIC GROWTH - GDP

10. IT-oLogy: State of the art facilities, world-class
data center with one of only 90
System Z servers
USC /Columbia Technology Incubator:
Home of nearly 50 companies with an annual
sales volume of $17M
Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC:
Approx. 6,400 professionals
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Key Partners:
Columbia ranked 2nd in the Top 25
Metros for High-Tech Employment
Growth
INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY
Insurance technology and services is a cluster
which has a $7 billion regional impact.
The iTsSC (Insurance Technology and Services
of SC) cluster focuses on workforce
development, industry marketing, and IT
education initiatives.

11. INSURANCETECHNOLOGYHUB
South Carolina has some of the nation's lowest
power costs.
Columbia, SC
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH
Des Moines, Iowa
Hartford, CT
Toronto, Canada
Silicon Valley, CA
These 8 Regions are Driving Insurance
Technology Innovation in North AmericaMore than 15,000 people are employed in
insurance tech companies in the area,
including:

12. Columbia is home to a diverse group of
manufacturers that produce a variety of
high tech products.
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Highly skilled workforce and strong network of
suppliers and customers.
Pro-business regulatory and tax environment and
low cost operating climate.
Competitive
Advantages
ADVANCEDMANUFACTURING
Key Partners:

13. Columbia has a robust healthcare industry
comprised of multiple hospitals and
specialized care facilities, all supported by
local college training programs within a few
minutes of downtown.
HEALTHCARE
Providence Hospital:
Approx. 2,000 health care professionals
Palmetto Health:
Approx. 8,400 employees & 1,000 physicians
University of South Carolina School of Medicine:
Approx. 2,600 health care professionals
Key Partners:
Competitive
Advantages
HEALTHCARE
The University of South Carolina is actively
involved in advanced research, including
neuroscience, bioengineering,
and cancer studies.
Healthcare is a major employment driver in the
Columbia area.
Columbia is supported by Palmetto Health and
Providence Hospital as well as Lexington Medical
Center and the Dorn VA Medical Center.

14. LABOR & LAND
Columbia is home to one of the best
labor forces in the nation and supports
the development of human capital with
nationally renowned job training
assistance programs. Columbia is one of the fastest growing
metropolitan areas in the United States at
19% over 10 years.
Columbia is business ready with enough
office, retail, warehouse, industrial
space, and undeveloped land to suit the
needs of any company looking to
expand or relocate to the area.
LABORANDLAND

15. Columbia is in close proximity to major
markets and is nationally ranked among the
top five cities for highway connectivity.
Our city is a UPS Air Cargo hub, ensuring low
transportation costs and timely shipping.
TRANSPORTATION&CONNECTIVITY
8th
110 miles via Interstate 26
from the deep-water
Port of Charleston
The Port of Charleston sails to most
international markets
largest in
the US
by cargo value
TRANSPORTATION & CONNECTIVITY
26
20
77
95
85

16. WORLD-CLASS CITYLIVE IN COLUMBIA, SC
In the next 20 years, it’s projected that over 1,000,000 residents
will reside in the Midlands, with 22 new schools and 1,700 new
housing units necessary to sustain population growth.
LIVEINCOLUMBIA,SC

17. TRENDYHOUSINGMARKET
Trulia’s Housing Economist Ralph McLaughlin
cited Columbia, SC as one of the
10 hot real estate markets to watch in 2016.
“Although history runs deep in Columbia, an indie spirit is taking
root — artisans, foodies, and musicians are bringing new energy
to the capital of Southern hospitality. Ginny Gaylor, Writer Editor
for Trulia
One of the 10 Hot Real Estate Markets To Watch In
2016

18. Ranked number 8 on MSN Real Estate’s “Most-Livable
Bargain Markets.”
Columbia is a “capital city with lots of historic charm.”
Photograph by Sergio Aparicio
Color Photographs by Brett Flashnick/Flashnick visuals llc.
Courtesy of columbiacvb.com
Ranked number 5 by the editors of Kiplinger’s
Personal Finance Magazine, citing good jobs
and reasonably priced homes.
REALESTATE-COLUMBIA

19. SIGNIFICANTRESIDENTIALGROWTH
Downtown Columbia is expected to grow to 40,000
residents by 2030The Midlands region as a whole is expected
to grow to a population of 1.2 million by
2040 according to a report by the Central
Midlands Council of Governments. The
centerpiece of the region will be downtown
Columbia, which has seen an unprecedented
investment of $1.4 billion since 2011.

20. Looking for Private Sector Partners
COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Municipal Complex Concept
The City spatial needs assessment estimates
for a 250,000 square foot municipal building
(10 floors at 25,000 square feet per floor)
The City of Columbia is actively seeking
private sector partners interested in
relocating to Columbia or developing
commercial office space in partnership with
the City.
PUBLICPRIVATEPARTNERSHIPS

21. PUBLICPRIVATEPARTNERSHIPS
The City is also looking for private sector
partners with an interest in the development
and operation of structured parking facilities
in downtown Columbia.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PARKING FACILITY PARTNERSHIPS
Looking for Private Sector Partners

22. PUBLIC SAFETY
“Policing Excellence through
Community Partnerships”
Columbia, SC Police Department
PUBLICSAFETY
President Barack Obama recognized the
Columbia Police Department
in 2016 for their task force implementation
on 21st Century Policing.

23. . ..
City of Columbia Office of Economic Development - 1201 Main Street, Suite 250 - Columbia, SC 29201 - P: 1-803-734-2700 - E: development@columbiasc.net

24. WORLD-CLASSDESTINATION
Created by Sergio Aparicio