Riley enters ninth term

Charleston-area tourism: What's next?

The future of hospitality and tourism in the Lowcountry is the focus of a presentation by the Coastal Young Leaders Group on Wednesday evening at the Best Western Hotel in downtown Charleston.

Stephen Litvin, chair of the College of Charleston's hospitality and tourism management department, will talk about what's on the horizon for hospitality in the Charleston region, how growth in the region is being regulated and directed, the upside of regulation for industry and lessons learned.

The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the hotel at 250 Spring St. Both members and nonmembers may attend; for information, call 800-321-5011 or 843- 513-9331. Registration is accepted at the door.

A tour of the hotel will be offered after the presentation.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Charleston jumps to 12th place on national economic index

The Charleston-North Charleston metropolitan area jumped up 10 positions in the recently released Best-Performing Cities Index compiled by The Milken Institute, which ranked the area 12th in terms of economic performance among the nation's 200 largest cities.

"I think it speaks to the vitality that the Charleston area has benefited from for many years," said David Desplaces, international business director and assistant professor of entrepreneurship for the School of Business and Economics at the College of Charleston.

In the 2005 report, the Charleston-North Charleston area was ranked 22nd. The index is used to measure metropolitan areas' success in job creation and retention, looking specifically at where jobs are being created and maintained, corresponding salary levels and where economies and businesses are growing and thriving, according to the institute's Web site. The Milken Institute, a nonprofit independent economic think tank, has been compiling these indexes for more than a decade.

The study says the region moved up 10 places after "having posted solid employment and high-tech (gross domestic product) growth in the past year." The index also cited the area's low cost of living compared to other coastal regions, which remains an important draw for retirees, but said the diverse industry base also attracts skilled workers.

Since the last report, the study states, the metro area's employment base outpaced the national average by 7.1% during the past five years.

"Driven by data processing and telecom services, Charleston created jobs at a rapid pace, having grown its employment base by 3.6% in the past 12 months. Key recent developments include the opening of a new DaimlerChrysler van plant and an American LaFrance assembly plant," the study says.

Though not specifically cited in the study, high-tech companies such as Vought Aircraft Industries and Benefitfocus are probably also playing a role in the improved score, Desplaces said, as well as Google's plans to build a data center in Mt. Holly. The region is measuring significant growth in the innovation-based industry, Desplaces said, proving that the area's economics is tied to more than real estate and tourism.

Ranking 11th in the study was the nearby region of Myrtle-Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach.

"Obviously, South Carolina has an overall positive climate for location, relocation and for businesses," Desplaces said. "The question is how we handle the allocation of resources and the coordinating effort as it pertains to growth."

As a whole, Southeast states fared particularly well in the study. Receiving the top ranking in the index was the town of Ocala, Fla; Wilmington, N.C., ranked second.

To view the index in full, click here

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal - By Molly Parker , Staff Writer

Charleston debate breaking new ground

CHARLESTON -- It's likely the biggest thing to come to The Citadel’s McAlister Field House since air conditioning was installed in the fabled gymnasium in the mid-1990s.

Tonight the eight Democratic candidates for president will converge on the campus off Moultrie Street for what one CNN executive described as the Internet's "first seat at the table in terms of determining who the next president of the United States might be.”

In all, some 2,700 tickets have been distributed for tonight's debate, the live broadcast of which begins at 7 p.m. That's more than three times as many as were distributed for the Democratic debate three months ago at S.C. State University in Orangeburg.

As has been highly publicized, rather than simply answer questions posed by moderator Anderson Cooper, the candidates will respond to questions submitted by video via YouTube.

By Sunday nearly 2,000 videos were submitted. Of those, only about 30 will be chosen and aired tonight.

"I think it's fitting that a city so full of tradition is where tradition is broken," said David Bohrman, CNN's senior vice president and the executive producer of its campaign coverage. "Whether it works or not, we'll know after the debate."

While he expressed confidence about the success of the format, which CNN will also use for its Republican debate being held in Florida in September, Bohrman also admitted, "You never can tell until you actually do it. This debate is truly unique."

That sentiment was echoed by Anderson Cooper, who was on the debate set Sunday for an extended rehearsal.

"Frankly, I was kind of concerned when I first heard about the debate. I didn't really see how it would work, and then once I started watching the videos, all my concerns really sort of fell away because you could see that this format would really provide a new dimension to a debate,” he said.

"It's not about members of the media posing a predictable set of questions. It's about the public, in a sense inviting the candidates into their lives momentarily and asking questions that are personally important to them and require a personal response."

That's what makes this debate interesting, Bohrman said.

"People have real questions, want real answers and the candidate who reverts to his or her talking points to address those questions is going to be dead in the water,” he said. “It'll be really interesting, after the fact, to learn how the campaigns prepared for the debate. Did they try to wade through all the videos over time, or did they just sample for a flavor of them, or did they do something else entirely?"

Few questions submitted through YouTube addressed the war in Iraq, and many were about economics and what Bohrman described as "pocketbook issues," he said.

In addition to debate spectators, more than 400 reporters are expected to be in the city today, as well as 60 to 70 CNN staffers, and large contingents affiliated with each campaign.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said while playing host to the debate has been a big logistical challenge, expenses for overtime and the like were well within what was budgeted for those items this year.

"You always build a cushion into your budget because you anticipate that over the course of the year, something unforeseen at budget time will need to be addressed," he said.

And in fact, some things the city had initially planned, including a proposed Sunday night reception for visiting reporters at the Riviera Theater downtown, did not materialize.

"You know, you also can't interpret expenditures until you look at them against the backdrop of what they achieve. In other words, they are an investment in our future,” Riley said.

"This debate will be very important to these candidates on their journey to becoming president. In the future, when the city has an issue or a project, their memories of their time here and of how the debate helped position them going forward, will be a great benefit for us."

On Sunday afternoon, as Charleston began to be transformed into a Democratic stumping ground, several candidates who will be participating in today's events were walked through their paces at The Citadel.

In addition to being taught how to conduct themselves physically, they are instructed how to answer potentially thorny questions about the facility.

Elsewhere around town, some of the Democrats began putting in their first debate-related campaign appearances. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson hosted two events on Sunday, in Mount Pleasant and on James Island, and was scheduled to meet with Mayor Riley at City Hall this morning.

Sen. Joe Biden, meanwhile, attended services at both St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Morris Brown AME Church downtown.

This afternoon, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is scheduled to make a brief appearance at Charleston's Waterfront Park around noon, and another appearance, at the American Theater on King Street at 5 p.m. He also has a final appearance in Charleston at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Kitty's Soul Food at 1137 Morrison Drive.|

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, meanwhile, has two brief campaign events planned for today, including a 1 p.m. stop at Gullah Cuisine in Mount Pleasant and a post-debate stop at his campaign's debate viewing party at the International Longshoreman's Association Hall on Morrison Drive in Charleston.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, who flew in from a campaign event in Miami last night and will depart for New Hampshire on Tuesday, has thus far scheduled only one event, a post-debate appearance at her campaign's debate watching party at the new Charleston Marriott Hotel at 170 Lockwood Drive.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Report: S.C. gas prices are lowest across U.S. State average cost: $2.83, says AAA

South Carolinians may complain about paying an arm and a leg to fill up their gas tanks, but they can find comfort in a AAA survey released Monday that shows the state has the cheapest gas in the country.

A gallon of regular gas in South Carolina averaged $2.83 on Monday, according to AAA's gas-tracking Web site www.fuelgaugereport.com. That's down .004 cents from Sunday and below the average U.S. price of $3.05 a gallon, which also dropped .004 cents from Sunday.

North Carolina has the twelfth-lowest gas price, at an average $2.95 per gallon.

The most expensive regular gas can be found in Nebraska at $3.33 a gallon.

Prices spiked in the last couple weeks because of outages at several U.S. oil refineries, but "it's starting to dribble down again," AAA Carolinas spokesman Tom Crosby said Monday.

Drivers on the Grand Strand are still paying the highest cost for gas in the cheapest state. The Myrtle Beach area's average price Monday was $2.89.

"It's a pain, but at least it's better than back home," said Hannah Chang, who was fill-

ing up her PT Cruiser with 12 gallons of $2.89 regular gas at the Citgo by Tanger Outlets on U.S. 17. Chang and some friends are visiting the Grand Strand from Missouri, where the average gallon costs $3.05.

South Carolina's lowest-in-the-country gas price average has two causes: the state's location on a key pipeline and a low state-gas tax, Crosby said.

South Carolina relies on the Colonial pipeline from the Gulf Coast, which goes through Charleston, so the state's prices aren't influenced as much by the recent refinery flooding in Kansas that has caused prices in the Midwest to surge.

That and other Midwest outages have caused a 6-cent price increase in the last three weeks, according to the Lundberg Survey released Sunday.

The average state gas tax is 21.25 cents per gallon, according to the the Federal Highway Administration.

The federal gas tax has added an additional 18.4 cents a gallon since 1997.

In South Carolina, the gas tax has been among the lowest, at 16 cents a gallon, since 1987, while North Carolina's tax is 31.5 cents a gallon after lawmakers increased it in 2006.

"Both states suffer from road construction and maintenance needs that are fueled by gas tax revenue, so at some point the roads are going to get a lot worse or the taxes are going to have to increase," Crosby said.

Fuel costs are more frequently influenced by demand and global events, which make it difficult to predict where prices will go in coming weeks.

"The real dilemma is that it's fragile, and with the Mideast unrest - if something goes worse than it is there now - or with the idea that we could have a hurricane or a refinery emergency, prices could go up," Crosby said. "Without anything happening, [reducing] our driving demand is one of the ways that we could bring prices down."

Contact EMMA RITCH at 444-1722 or eritch@thesunnews.com.

By Emma Ritch - The Sun News

Charleston among Top 10 retail markets

Charleston has been named among the top 10 retail investment markets in the country by one of the nation’s largest commercial real estate brokerage firms.

Sperry Van Ness , based in Irvine, Calif., has just released the retail edition of its 2007 Top 10 Markets To Watch Report, which examines economic factors that impact future retail investment real estate. In its report, Sperry Van Ness cites the top 10 markets to watch as:

• Albuquerque, N.M.
• Charleston
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Phoenix
• Raleigh/Durham, N.C.
• Salt Lake City
• Tucson, Ariz.
• West Palm Beach, Fla.

Charleston was chosen largely because of the area’s 5.36% increase in household income and 1.63% increase in population in 2007, the company reported. In addition, retail vacancy rates in the Charleston area are tight, at about 8.9%, which is expected to keep rents rising. Rents in the area increased 3.2% during 2006 to an average of $12.22 per square foot.

In compiling its report, Sperry Van Ness analyzed more than 60 primary, secondary and tertiary markets, examining economic factors that impact future retail investment in real estate. Market rankings were determined from a number of dynamics, including retail sales and inventory, vacancy factors and rental trends.

David Ebeling, communications manager for Sperry Van Ness, said the 10 markets were not ranked against each other, and no market within the list was ranked stronger than another in comparison.

“They’re all so close,” Ebeling said. “These are the ones that show the most promise in terms of the greatest potential for income growth.”

Founded in 1987, Sperry Van Ness is a commercial real estate brokerage firm with more than 900 advisers in 150 cities. The company advised clients on more than $10.9 billion in real estate transactions in 2006.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal - Daily Journal Staff

To donate to the firefighters' (Charleston 9) families

For continually updated information, see www.charleston.net. Here are some opportunities to give:

Bank of America: Make a donation at any branch or send money to: The City of Charleston Firemen's Fund, Box 304, Charleston, SC 29402.

First Federal: The Charleston Firefighters Memorial Fund was opened Monday at First Federal in response to the tragic loss of nine Charleston firefighters the preceding evening. The bank opened the account with $5,000 in a show of support for the families of the firefighters and the heroic firefighters community. The public is invited to join First Federal by making a donation in any First Federal office. The funds will be used to assist the families of those whose lives were lost fighting the fire at the Sofa Super Store on Savannah Highway in Charleston. Checks may also be mailed to: First Federal, c/o Linda Weber, 2440 Mall Dr., North Charleston, S.C. 29406.

Trident United Way: The agency will match the first $10,000 contributed to the City of Charleston Firemen's Fund to encourage support for the families and co-workers of the fallen firefighters.

Piggly Wiggly: Customers can donate at the register to the Charleston Fallen Firefighter Fund, created to raise money in support of the families of the firefighters who died. Piggly Wiggly will be kicking off the fund with a $10,000 donation.

Southcoast Community Bank: The bank has created the Southcoast Firefighter's Relief Fund to support the families of the victims. Southcoast will initially fund the account with $1,000. Additional donations in the form of cash and checks will be accepted at all 10 Southcoast Community Bank branches in the Charleston area. For additional information, contact Southcoast Community Bank at 884-0504 or www.southcoastbank.com.

provided by Charleston.net

Governor to Sign Coastal Insurance Legislation

GOVERNOR WILL TRAVEL TO CHARLESTON, MYRTLE BEACH TO SIGN LEGISLATION AIMED AT ALLEVIATING INSURANCE COSTS

Columbia, S.C. - June 8, 2007 - Gov. Mark Sanford will travel to Charleston and Myrtle Beach this Monday (June 11, 2007) to sign newly passed legislation aimed at alleviating insurance costs for coastal homeowners. The legislation creates incentives for insurers to do business in South Carolina, and creates tax credits for people who make their homes more storm resistant or choose to self-insure. The bill signings will take place at the following times and locations:

Charleston - 10:30 a.m.

Lowe's Home Improvement, 1104 Market Center Blvd, Mt Pleasant

Myrtle Beach - 12:30 p.m.

Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, 1200 North Oak Street, Myrtle Beach

AirTran service takes off in Charleston

An AirTran Airways plane touched down at the Charleston International Airport Thursday, launching the low-fare carrier’s entrance into the region. AirTran Airways announced earlier this year it would add new service to Charleston after receiving an overwhelming response to an online survey the company conducted late last year called, “Where do you want low fares next?” Charleston became the 55th destination in AirTran's expanding route network. “Having AirTran provide service to the Charleston area means greater access for travelers from across the country. This will make it much easier for them to experience Charleston's rich history, amazing restaurants and shops, and our world-class golf courses and beaches,” said Rick Mosteller, chairman of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau actively markets the Charleston area in many of the areas served by AirTran, including the Midwest and Northeast. The introduction of new air service to Charleston from these areas is expected to attract growing numbers of affluent travelers. AirTran fills the void left from low-cost carrier Independence Air, which began servicing Charleston International Airport on June 16, 2004. In November 2005, FLYi filed for Chapter 11 protection and ceased operations in January 2006. The airline offers nonstop flight options between Charleston International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. AirTran will offer four daily roundtrip flights between Charleston International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by June 7. Travelers departing from Charleston can connect to 52 cities nationwide via Atlanta.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal By Daily Journal Staff

Charleston County announces evacuation pick-up points

Hoping to avoid a Lowcountry replay of the scores of stranded citizens seen in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Charleston County and municipal officials this morning announced the designation of 75 evacuation pick-up points for residents who don’t have transportation in the event of a mandatory evacuation. Blue signs that state “Hurricane Evacuation Bus Stop” will be posted throughout the county beginning this week, at all 75 pick-up point locations. The move by Charleston County’s Emergency Preparedness Division represents an enhancement of its longstanding policy to provide emergency transportation from designated pick-up points, and is an acknowledgement of the region’s rapid growth in recent years. As a result of the patterns of that growth, some previous pick-up locations have been changed. “The goal is for residents who don’t have transportation to identify these pick-up points prior to an emergency and to know where they should go if they need a ride to a shelter,” said Cathy Haynes, Charleston County's Emergency Preparedness Division director. The evacuation pick-up points are in locations that are well-known to citizens who live near them. They are located at churches, grocery stores and schools, and many of them are co-located with CARTA bus stop locations. The pick-up points were chosen for their ability to provide a safe location for people to congregate away from traffic and for having a parking lot or area for buses to pull off the road and safely load passengers without blocking evacuation traffic routes. A new pick-up point list has been sent to more than 1,000 Charleston County nonprofit organizations, government agencies, places of worship and neighborhood associations. The evacuation pick-up point signs are being posted in a coordinated effort between Charleston County and the city of Charleston.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal By Dan McCue , Staff Writer

Millennium Music to remain downtown

After two years of uncertainty and conflicting messages concerning the development on the corner of King and Calhoun streets, operators of Millennium Music were told they could expect to keep the location for the duration of the six-year lease. Over a two-year period, Millennium made several changes to its store concept to facilitate the move, including selling the Mount Pleasant store and closing the downtown bookstore. Now that the store will remain for the time being, Millennium announced plans to expand with additional download kiosks and re-introducing an iPod loading service.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal

Democrats to Hold Presidential Debate in Charleston in July

CHARLESTON -- Haven’t caught presidential debate fever yet?

You’ll get your chance this summer when Charleston hosts a nationally televised debate among the Democratic candidates vying for the White House. The sparing session is scheduled for July 23 and will be broadcast live on CNN.

The debate, which is being cosponsored by the region’s newest major corporate citizen, Google, is the first such event being held in the port city in modern memory. It will also be the first debate to be hosted on Google’s YouTube.

On Tuesday, Columbia played host to a Fox News debate featuring the Republican candidates for president, and two weeks ago, the full Democratic field came together for their first-in-the-South debate in Orangeburg.

Although a venue has yet to be chosen for the event, political insiders said Tuesday morning, they believe the most likely location is the Galliard Municipal Auditorium.

What’s in store in terms of the potential economic impact of the event? A clue could be drawn from what transpired in Columbia earlier this week.

Columbia Mayor Robert D. Coble, a Democrat, said he didn’t expect that city’s debate to have a direct economic impact on par with a USC home football game—a number he pegged at between $6 million and $8 million—but nonetheless suggested it could come close.

The reason is that presidential debates don’t occur in a political vacuum, they’re always accompanied by a whole host of supporting and secondary events.

“Here in Columbia,” Coble said, “the hotels are full, the restaurants are doing well. But most importantly, this is an opportunity to reintroduce the city to many people who may not have been here since the last presidential contest four years ago.”

The announcement of the debate was made jointly Wednesday by the S.C. Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee. In addition to the Charleston event, the national party also sanctioned five other debates prior to next year’s primaries.

Those debates will be in Des Moines, Iowa, Hanover, N.H., Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

South Carolina’s Democratic primary is scheduled for Jan. 29.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal - Dan McCue

House approves statewide wireless bill

COLUMBIA — South Carolina is a step closer to becoming the first state in the nation to create a statewide wireless broadband network.

The House Tuesday approved bill H. 3569 that would create the Wireless Technology and Communications Commission that will evaluate the economic, financial and technology issues surrounding the feasibility of creating a statewide network and takes the steps necessary to create such a network.

The commission will also evaluate how to best foster a private/public partnership in its implementation and operation of the network. 

“The potential for this kind of technology is limitless,” House Speaker Bobby Harrell said.  “Technology moves fast, and changes even faster. We need to move quickly to implement this and put our state on the cutting edge of Internet use. The Internet has revolutionized the world, and now South Carolina is moving to revolutionize the way we access the Internet.”

The bill is coupled with the virtual school legislation currently in conference committee.

The goal is to provide rural areas with access to broadband Internet. Schools, homes, public safety workers, municipalities, hospitals and businesses across the state could be connected to the Internet as well.

Supporters of the bill believe it could have huge economic development potential for the state by attracting new businesses and becoming a testing ground for emerging wireless technologies. In addition to aiding large businesses, a wireless cloud will also empower small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially in rural areas.

Wednesday, 25 April 2007 By SCBIZ Daily Staff

Rudy Giulani in Columbia, Charleston & Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Republican presidential hopeful will be in South Carolina on Thursday.

He’s scheduled an announcement and news conference in the Capitol Rotunda in Columbia at 9:30 a.m. At 1 p.m., he’s scheduled to have lunch with small business owners at Magnolia’s on East Bay Street in downtown Charleston. He will follow his Charleston visit with a meeting of supporters at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball home opener at Coastal Federal Field in North Myrtle Beach.

Recently, Giuliani spoke with SCBIZ about his views on business and government’s role in fostering it.

Giuliani, who ran his own law office earlier in his career and now is head of Giuliani Partners, a wide-ranging, New York-based consultancy, said in his experience, government can be both a help and a hindrance to the small business owner.

“Most of the ways that government hurts is by interfering,” he said. “Government can give you some help in the special situations — where you have to do redevelopment — but largely, both on the government side and the business side I would make a deal with government immediately which is … don’t interfere with us too much. Do that and you’re giving us the best break you can possibly give us.”

Giuliani went on to say he believes it is important for local governments to keep taxes moderate or at least competitive with other states and cities that might be vying for the same economic development opportunities.

“What communities are businesses comparing you to? What are the other alternatives (for businesses) and what are their tax rates and how much off from that are you? Are you higher? Lower? If you’re higher, you’re going to lose a lot of business. If you’re lower, you’re probably going to be in pretty good shape. But at least if you’re even you’ll be in a competitive position.

“Holding the line on tax rates and fees — hidden taxes — is very, very important,” Giuliani said.

    Rudy Giuliani

By Dan McCue - Article from SCBIZ Daily, Tuesday April 3, 2007

Today is World Water Day!

See how you can do your part whether you live in Charleston, SC or on the other side of the world! Donate, volunteer and spread the word for clean drinking water around the world!

March 23, 2007

Daniel Island Co seeks approval for Marina

The Daniel Island Co. has requested permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to build a commercial marina and dry stack facility on the Wando River south of Interstate 526.

Daniel Island Co. spokeswoman Julie Dombrowski said the permitting for the project, outlined in a public noticed filed with federal and state regulators March 16, will likely take as long as a year.

“As a result, we haven’t determined a construction start or opening date yet,” she said. “At the earliest I would say construction will likely begin in about 18 months.”

The proposal consists of a marine facility that will include 341 wet slips in the Wando River, providing moorage for boats ranging from 35 feet to 115 feet in length.

The plan for what’s going to be called The Marina at Daniel Island includes the creation of 12 individual dock structures that in total will add up to 288 designated commercial slips, 20 designated public slips, and 33 designated commercial tie-up slips along about 3,894 linear feet of side tie moorage.

As part of the complex, the Daniel Island Co. intends to build a harbormaster’s office, fuel and sewage pump out facilities on a 24-foot by 330-foot floating dock, a floating breakwater and a dry-stack facility with a capacity to store up to 208 boats ranging from 15 feet to 30 feet in length. Forklifts will be used to move boats to and from the building and the launch-and-retrieve pier in the marina basin.

This is actually part of a larger two-mile stretch of planned public-access waterfront development along the Wando River that the city of Charleston and our company are jointly developing,” Dombrowski said.

The Daniel Island Co. plans for the slips to be made available to the public at market rates, she said.

The company has told federal and state officials that no fill or excavation in existing wetlands or the Wando River is proposed in connection with the project. It further states that the marina will be operated in accordance with criteria for participation in the South Carolina Clean Marina Program.

During and after construction the existing city of Charleston public dock will continue to be used as a public, day-use facility.

As provided by the Charleston Regional Business Journal by By Dan McCue , Staff Writer

Business state of Mind

For the third consecutive year, the state of South Carolina has been named among "America’s Top 10 Pro-Business States."

The ranking is part of "Keeping Jobs In America: Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States in 2007," an independent study published by Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc., a corporate site relocation expert. The study, which evaluates the job creation and retention efforts of state and federal governments, was unveiled earlier this week at the International Economic Development Council Federal Forum in Arlington, Va.

"As we work to compete in a global economy, our ability to maintain and improve economic soil conditions for business growth is critical," said Gov. Mark Sanford. "This recognition is further evidence that our efforts are paying dividends in terms of job creation and retention. Our administration remains committed to continuing these efforts to keep growing existing business and creating new opportunities for our state through changes like continuing to lower taxes, workers' compensation reform, and bettering health care access for small businesses."

In the annual Pollina study, South Carolina was honored for its progressive pro-business policies that result in job growth. Coming in second on the list, South Carolina ranked closely behind Virginia. Rounding out the top five are Florida, North Carolina and Utah.

"From A to Z, South Carolina understands economic development and is clearly making the effort to continue its attractiveness to business. The state has one of the nation's best incentive programs and has a highly-trained and professional economic development department. When it comes to economic development, it's a state that other states should emulate," said Ronald Pollina, company president.

The S.C. Department of Commerce produced a record-setting year for capital investment and job creation in 2006. The Department of Commerce generated $2.99 billion in capital investment and 14,420 new jobs. Those numbers do not include Duke Energy’s new nuclear power plant that will generate an investment of $4 billion and create 800 new jobs.

“Keeping Jobs In America: Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States” is published annually by Chicago-headquartered Pollina Corporate Real Estate. The study evaluates and ranks states based on 28 factors including taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation, energy costs, infrastructure spending, workers’ compensation legislation and jobs lost or gained.

as provided by South Carolina's Media Engine for Economic Growth