South Carolina talks reveal automotive links
Shared expertise in the automotive sector could lead to future collaboration between Greater Birmingham and the US state of South Carolina, business leaders heard.
Greater Birmingham Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce held productive talks with a delegation from South Carolina as part of its drive to connect firms from the region with those across the United States and Canada.
The South Carolina delegation who visited Chamber House in Edgbaston included Vanessa G�schl from the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Tracy McMillin from economic development body Central South Carolina and Mike Cool from utility provider Santee Cooper.
Business leaders including Transatlantic Chamber president James Tait, Greater Birmingham Chambers president Deb Leary, CEO Henrietta Brealey and head of international divisions Chris McFarlane-Baxter heard about South Carolina 's status as a powerhouse in the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Located in the Southeastern region of the US, the state has been a leader in automotive since the 1970s, when it welcomed firms such as Michelin, Bosch and latterly BMW.
It is also home to an $11bn life sciences industry and the US ' fastest-growing container ports.
Highlighting the synergy between the West Midlands and South Carolina in automotive, Ms G�schl said: “We are here each year talking to companies essentially because of the strength of the automotive sector here.
“South Carolina ranks number one in passenger vehicle exports from the US. Everyone thinks of Detroit as the automotive city but South Carolina is the number one state - not Michigan. ”
The visiting delegation also heard from several Transatlantic Chamber members including Liquid CEO Elisabeth Lewis-Jones, who discussed the PR and digital agency 's extensive work with maple syrup producers in Canada.
Dave Green of brand innovation firm The Mighty Shed and Michael Butler of HR services firm Cross Border HR also shared their transatlantic trade experiences.
Chris McFarlane-Baxter said: “We were delighted to welcome the delegation from South Carolina and learn about its strengths in a number of different sectors.
“It is clear that there is a lot of synergy between Greater Birmingham and South Carolina, particularly in automotive, which provides potential for future collaboration. ”
Pictured (from left): Chris McFarlane-Baxter, Tracy McMillin, Vanessa G�schl, Mike Cool, James Tait and the Chamber 's international director Mandy Haque