South Carolina and Miller|Conway are Ready for Business

Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties have been one of the nation’s most attractive destinations for local, national and international businesses over the past twenty years. Charleston’s status as a business hub has never been more evident than it is today with the likes of Boeing, Quoizel, Google, Bosch and Diamler locating to the lowcountry. This influx of businesses to the region can be attributed to business-friendly tax structures, demograpics, our education system, telecommunications, utilities, intermodal transportation and quality of life.

Thanks to a business-oriented tax and incentive structure, local companies are able to reduce operating costs while increasing their return on investment. Further, qualifying companies are able to operate workforce recruiting and training programs at little or no cost. Finally, local businesses may take advantage of numerous opprtunities that have been implemented to reduce, or in some cases eliminate, their company’s corporate income taxes.

Start-up companies are incentivized with a wide range of sales tax exemptions to reduce start-up and annual operating costs. Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties are even willing to tailor property tax incentives to meet your company’s needs. Special discretionary incentives at the local and state level can be used to meet specific needs of a company on a case-by-case basis.

The greater Charleston area has grown to more than 650,000 residents, many of whom are highly-skilled and educated citizens who are hungry for work. Should your business require specialized education and/or training, local universities, colleges and technical schools are set up to advance South Carolina’s workforce.

According to the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties feature a fiber optic, digital, IP-based network that offers businesses highly reliable, state-of-the-art communications services. Businesses in the greater Charleston area have the ability to tap into everything from the latest feature-rich voice and data services to advanced wireless solutions, all provided by leaders in the telecommunications industry.

With regards to power, South Carolina power generators use numerous fuel sources such as oil, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, natural gas and methane to provide an abundant, reliable energy supply. Greater Charleston is served by two generating electric utilities with a combined capacity of 11,685 megawatts. The region is part of the South Carolina transmission grid, which is served by four generating utilities with a combined capacity of 19,721 megawatts.

The lowcountry is known for its proximity to the water, both the Atlantic and the intercoastal-waterway. Companies here have access to an abundant, high-quality supply of fresh water to meet both current and future demands. Water is obtained through area lakes, rivers and wells, eliminating the expense of bringing water in from elsewhere.

The local waterways in our counties provide easy access to global ports. As the most productive port in North America, an integrated rail and highway system, numerous regional airports and a growing international airport, Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties provide businesses with highly efficient access to the global marketplace. Our central location, roughly halfway between Washington DC and Miami, offers prime inroads into the burgeoning US Southeast.

If all of the above did not convince you of the area’s business-friendly climate then the allure of the region should remove any doubt. More than 33 new residents are added to the region daily. In addition to Charleston’s acclaimed culture, cuisine, entertainment and beaches, residents here enjoy a diverse range of housing options, one of the most impressive medical hubs in the Southeast, and a mild year-round climate. All of this is available to businesses, their executive and employees at a cost of living below the national average.

Should you decide to start your business in South Carolina, relocate or open a facility here, Miller|Conway is ready to handle your corporate legal needs. Miller|Conway provides corporations, whether established or start-ups, with a broad array of legal services ranging from organizational, operational, risk minimizing/control and transactional matters. Our clients are engaged in a broad range of businesses and we strive to meet and exceed their needs and goalWe have experience counseling clients on matters related to organization and structure, provide advice on matters arising in day-to-day operations, corporate liability, assist in negotiating and documenting financing and business expansion transactions, and provide guidance in acquisitions, sales and mergers.