Industry

Greenwood County is fortunate to have a stable and diversified industrial base. Its industrial pursuits include local, national and foreign companies which are all vital to the continued economic growth and development of the county. Home to more than 25 manufacturers, Greenwood’s multinational industrial sector provides over 12,000 jobs for area residents. Products include textiles, fabricated parts, bricks, process equipment, videotapes, film, medical goods, electrical components, lumber, business forms, capsules, skylights, and many more.

Some of Greenwood’s companies have been in business for more than a century. Greenwood Mills, Inc. has led Greenwood County industry since 1889. The company began as a struggling cotton mill with 75 employees and has grown through the years. Mr. J.C. Self of Greenwood Mills, along with F.E. Grier of Abney Mills, realized the need to diversify the industrial base in the County. Since the 1960’s, the County has pursued a number of industries who have chosen Greenwood as a place for their facilities. Fuji Photo Film, Inc. chose the county in 1988 as the site of its $64 million facility for manufacturing pre-sensitized offset printing plates. Fuji has built seven additional plants which include products such as x-ray film, videotapes, and disposable cameras. Greenwood County is now the site for Fuji’s largest North American facility.

As Greenwood continues to progress and grow from the early days of cotton, an industry on the cutting edge of technology has arrived to lead Greenwood in a new direction. Located on the campus of the Greenwood Genetic Center, the newly constructed South Carolina Biotechnology Incubation Facility (SCBIF) is a 22,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. In addition to six laboratory modules with related office and support space, the incubator houses a conference room, library, and 124-seat auditorium. Outfitted with the latest technology, the building contains T-1 telecommunications and video conferencing capabilities to link you to resources around the state and the world.

South Carolina’s premier life-science incubator not only offers a first-rate facility, but access to outstanding intellectual and research resources as well. The SCBIF is attached to the J.C. Self Research Institute of Human Genetics allowing scientific collaboration among entrepreneurs and the Institute’s 20 genetic scientists. The state’s research universities - Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina - which collectively receive about $300 million annually in research awards, offer additional support. This affiliation provides tenants with opportunities for consultation and collaboration with hundreds of active scientists and professionals with expertise in agriculture, aquaculture, business, engineering, and basic and clinical medicine. Specialized equipment and research facilities, as well as graduate and undergraduate education programs, are also accessible through the research universities.

Finally, the SCBIF provides access to the financial resources required to achieve commercial success. From high-tech tax incentives at the state level to a local angel investors network, the South Carolina Biotechnology Incubation Facility can assist in taking your business to the next level.