In 2009 Boeing announced their decision to create a second manufacturing facility in North Charleston where the firm would produce their Dreamliner.
According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, “In 2009, Boeing needed to establish a second final assembly line for its 787 Dreamliner as orders for the plane increased. The company needed a place with top-notch infrastructure, a business-friendly climate and a skilled workforce. With those things in mind, Boeing chose South Carolina for the project…”
Since this decision, Charleston, South Carolina has become a hub for the aeronautical industry. In an article in The Post and Courier David Wrenn enumerated the statistics, “The company has invested $2 billion in land, facilities, infrastructure and machinery at its Dreamliner campus and other North Charleston sites that now employ more than 8,200 workers and contractors. It has donated $28 million to area charitable organizations and, last year alone, spent more than $355 million with 294 suppliers and vendors within South Carolina.”
Many of the Boeing employees relocated to the Charleston area to work with Boeing. Boeing’s move attracted other manufacturers in the aeronautic sector to relocate. The Charleston Region Development Alliance, one of the key partners in attracting new industry to the region states, “Charleston is one of the fastest-growing U.S. mid-size metros for aircraft manufacturing, and one of the nation’s Top 10 mid-size metros for workforce growth in aircraft mechanics, computer hardware and electrical engineers. This innovative community offers the energy and excitement of a region on the rise.”
Automotive sector on the rise
Daimler announced in March 2015 that the firm would spend $500 million to construct a new manufacturing plant in Charleston County. Mercedes Benz Vans will build the Sprinter van at the plant. The move is expected to create 1,300 jobs in the area. Prior to this announcement, Daimler had shipped components manufactured in Germany to Charleston for construction. The 2015 announcement is now becoming reality as the facility is under construction.
Adding growth to the automotive sector, Volvo announced in May 2015 that the company would invest $500 million in to the construction of a new manufacturing facility in the area. Projected job growth is set at around 4,000 according to the Wall Street Journal. Volvo’s leaders broke ground earlier this summer for their new plant.
To accommodate this growth, a new interchange is being constructed in the Summerville area off Interstate 26, north of exit 199.
As with the aeronautical sector, the rise in the automotive sector is expected to attract automotive suppliers and affiliated manufacturers to the area.
Charleston’s new home construction industry responds
With the influx of jobs and people to the Charleston area to work for Boeing, Mercedes Benz and Volvo, the demand for new homes is on the rise. Homebuilders in the greater Charleston metro area are building apace to meet the demand.
Developers such as WestRock Land Development, Daniel Island Company, Gramling Brothers, and others are building vast master planned communities designed to fit the needs of current and future residents. While large, these master planned communities have neighborhood enclaves and multiple builders, bringing a sense of village development to their projects. Some of the communities have set aside land for schools, shopping centers and professional offices.
Nationally recognized, publically-traded builders such as K Hovnanian, Lennar, and Pulte are builder developers who are constructing new home communities across the entire Lowcountry.
Regional and local builders, too, are building neighborhoods designed for people relocating for new jobs in the Lowcountry.
Home styles range from traditional single story homes to those inspired by the Charleston Single House. The one thing which will be missing from homes in the area will be a basement. With a high watertable and sandy soils, most homes in this area are constructed on grade or raised slab foundations. Homes near rivers and marshes are frequently elevated above the mean flood level.
Finding your preferred residential area
With all the homebuilding activity underway here, the most difficult decision for people relocating to the metro Charleston area is determining which community fits them. There are many cities in the tri-county (Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester) region.
North Charleston, Summerville, Ridgeville, Moncks Corner, and Goose Creek are all towns near automotive and aeronautical manufacturing facilities. Mount Pleasant and Charleston proper are attractive as well and not that distant from the new manufacturing plants. With so many choices, it may be overwhelming to find the right fit.
To identify the home, community and builder for your relocation, use our New Homes Guide resources. With our map based search you can quickly identify homes that are ready to move into now, ones which will be complete very soon and sort them all based on price and location. We even provide information on the incentives and special values builders are offering.
Welcome to the Charleston area
If you’re relocating to work in the Charleston area, Welcome! We are glad you’re here. We have no doubt that you’ll love the year round outdoor options that living in Charleston holds as well as the amazing restaurant and arts scene.
It is very easy to understand why Alfred Hutty, an artist-leader in the 20th century Charleston Renaissance and transplant to Charleston wrote to his wife upon his arrival, “"Come quickly, have found heaven." We think you, too, will find the Lowcountry to be heavenly.
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Thank you for reading and sharing our articles from The Greater Charleston New Homes Guide. Our business is to know Charleston, SC's new home construction, home builders, neighborhoods and homes so we may assist you as you take your new construction home journey. Please take the time to explore our site. The Greater Charleston New Homes Guide is considered the best and most reliable ‘local’ resource to new home construction, builders, neighborhoods, and homes throughout the Lowcountry since 2004.
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Tagged as: Charleston Economy
Categories: The Guide Lowcountry Neighborhood News