3 Growing Industries in Spartanburg, SC
The Spartanburg, SC, region is home to an array of industries, including automotive, advanced materials, distribution, energy and aerospace, each of which is filled with key players that are making waves in their respective fields. Think vehicle manufacturer BMW, tire manufacturer Michelin, high-performance conductor fabricator IWG High Performance Conductors and diner chain Denny’s, which is headquartered in the region. In addition to the area’s seasoned industries, others, such as soft mobility, filmmaking and life sciences, are poised to further diversify the region’s portfolio.
1. Soft Mobility
With Spartanburg’s history of success in the automotive sector, growth in the soft mobility (nonmotorized transportation) industry is a natural progression. The region has historically been a hub for professional and recreational cyclists, as it is home to trails like the Daniel Morgan Trail System (aka The Dan) and the proposed Saluda Grade Rail Trail, which is expected to run 31.5 miles from Inman, SC, to Zirconia, NC.
The infrastructure for manufacturing bicycle parts is firmly in place in the Spartanburg area, and the industry is prepared to grow.
“I’ve never seen anything like the energy and the opportunity and the supply chain for what I do in a region like this,” says Tony Karklins, CEO of TIME Bicycles, a heritage European bicycle brand in Landrum.
In partnership with Boyd Cycling, a Spartanburg-based bicycle wheel manufacturer, TIME will open a 140,000-square-foot facility in Landrum, which will be the largest carbon fiber wheel factory in the world. Constructing the new facility along the Saluda Grade Rail Trail was not a coincidence. For both companies, staying rooted in the cycling culture of the region and increasing quality of life for their employees are priorities.
“There’s a huge cycling culture in the area,” says Boyd Johnson, CEO of Boyd Cycling. “It attracts talent. There are people who want that work-life balance.”
2. Filmmaking
Among the growing industries in the Spartanburg, SC, region is filmmaking. For filmmaker Edgar Bravo, Spartanburg’s enthusiasm for the arts set it apart from the other cities he was considering as a base for his new film studio called No Restrictions Entertainment. An independent filmmaker from Los Angeles, he sought a region with the eagerness and infrastructure that would allow him to tell compelling stories.
Innovative technology allows filmmakers like Bravo to tell stories from different time periods and places in the world without leaving their location. Virtual production technology, for example, utilizes LED walls to create an endless range of natural landscapes, backdrops and cities.
“Even though I’m in South Carolina, if I want to do an intimate love story with a couple walking past the Eiffel Tower, I can do it with this technology,” Bravo says.
Film production hot spots, like Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York, have already started utilizing this technology, and Bravo sees Spartanburg as the next center of filmmaking in the Southeast.
Bravo brought his production company to Spartanburg to produce the first feature-length film in the area, an independent horror film entitled Little Box of Hope. Film productions have a huge economic impact on the communities they touch, as some employ local talent and support area hotels, restaurants and small businesses.
For filmmakers like Bravo, independent film studios allow local talent a lower barrier to entry compared to Hollywood and an opportunity to tell stories that matter.
“There’s so many beautiful stories out here,” Bravo says.
3. Life Sciences
The region’s track record for industries like manufacturing make Spartanburg, SC, an ideal home for life sciences companies developing breakthroughs.
InnovaSphere, a Spartanburg-based nonprofit, prioritizes attracting and retaining startups that can benefit from the region’s manufacturing base.
“The timing is perfect,” says Cecilia Zapata-Harms, CEO of InnovaSphere. “The community is really invested and committed to building this infrastructure in Spartanburg.”
From developments in pancreatic cancer drug treatments to wound healing technologies, promising growth is already underway in the region.
Additionally, seasoned employers in this field are choosing to relocate or expand their businesses in Spartanburg.
For example, Epica International, a leader in advanced ultra-high-resolution mobile medical imaging and robotic applications for human and animal health and industrial enterprises, moved its headquarters from California to the Spartanburg area in 2021. At the time of the announcement, the company attributed its decision to the area’s partnership opportunities, workforce, regional academic institutions and infrastructure/logistics, among other things.
As more companies relocate to or set up shop in and around Spartanburg, an increased quality of life is poised to follow. These companies will help retain talent from local universities and attract talent from afar who will take advantage of the region’s beautiful live-work-play environment.
“We’ve got the talent here,” Zapata-Harms says. “It will benefit the region all the way around.”
This article is sponsored by OneSpartanburg Inc.