South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is heading to Germany next week to further strengthen the economic ties that have brought significant growth to the state. As an invited guest at the TDI conference, also known as the Day of German Industry, McMaster will give a keynote speech on South Carolina’s relationships with German companies and participate in a panel discussion, according to South Carolina Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey.
South Carolina has been a leader in attracting foreign companies from around the world, which has played a vital role in its growth. The state ranks second in the US for states with foreign companies operating within its borders, with German companies having the largest presence in the state. There are currently 262 facilities employing about 44,000 people from Germany, representing around 2% of the state’s total workforce.
Governor McMaster plans to visit the headquarters of two major automakers in Germany – BMW and Volkswagen – who have significant operations in South Carolina. In Munich, he will meet with BMW executives, who built a plant in Greer in 1994 that now employs over 11,000 workers. This plant was instrumental in attracting other foreign automakers to establish factories in the South, helping diversify the state’s economy. In Wolfsburg, McMaster will visit Volkswagen’s headquarters, where Scout Motors is building a new plant near Columbia to manufacture electric SUVs with plans to employ up to 4,000 people by 2027.
During his trip, Governor McMaster will also meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country’s finance minister. The Department of Commerce stated that CEOs want to meet with CEOs, making McMaster’s visit crucial for building and strengthening relationships between the two countries. McMaster will return to South Carolina on Thursday while Commerce Secretary Lightsey plans to stay longer for additional meetings. Last year, the TDI conference was attended by about 1,700 political leaders, business executives
