Economic Profile

For a Copy of the Complete Economic Profile for North Augusta Click Here.

Labor Force

While North Augusta supplies a great place to live and work today, it has a vested interest in how it expands into the future. The area benefits from a wide range of industry and corporate offices. But with the sizable skilled labor force and support services, North Augusta is primed to attract more businesses to its borders.

Low construction costs, tax incentives, a labor pool of approximately 270,000 people and an existing infrastructure make the area attractive to companies looking to relocate or open their doors.

Location and Transportation

Mp> North Augusta exists in a truly unique position near the twin centers of Southern business – Atlanta and Charlotte – and within three hours of two of the largest ports – Savannah and Charleston – in North America. Businesses here thrive on direct and accessible roadways, reliable rail and air shipping, and a convenient import and export system.

Drive Time

Located along the Georgia/South Carolina border, North Augusta provides easy access to the South’s business, commercial, and manufacturing operations. For entrepreneurs and financiers, North Augusta is less than three hours from Atlanta and Charlotte, the business and commerce capitals of the new South; for manufacturers and distributors, the region is just over two hours from the deepwater ports at Savannah-one of the five largest container-handling ports in the United States-and Charleston, which has the sixth-largest port in the nation in terms of cargo value.

For automotive suppliers, North Augusta & Aiken county is positioned two hours south of BMW’s Greenville assembly and less than three hours east of Ford’s Hapeville assembly and GM’s Doraville plant. Not only is North Augusta near the center of the country’s automotive manufacturing, but it’s also near the center of the country’s automotive research. In addition to the National Center for Hydrogen Research in Aiken County, the University of South Carolina’s National Center on Fuel Cell Research in Columbia is only an hour away, and Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in Greenville is only a couple of hours away.

Highways

As a central point in the Southeast, North Augusta & Aiken county is surrounded by a growing system of major highways, including Interstate 20, which allows businesses access to the major metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and Dallas, Texas. Interstates 26 and 77, which connect the region to Charleston, Greenville-Spartanburg, and Charlotte, North Carolina, are also nearby. Route 78 gives commuters an easy trip between Aiken and North Augusta and Highway 19, running north/south through the state, provides ready access to all points in Aiken County and south to New Ellenton.

In linking the region to all corners of the country, more than 30 freight lines serve Aiken, including American Freightways, Overnite, Roadway Express, Superior, and Old Dominion.

Airports

Only eight miles from downtown North Augusta, the Augusta Regional Airport provides nonstop service to Atlanta, Charlotte, Newark and Houston via Atlantic Southeast (Delta Connection), PSA/USAir Express and Continental Express. Augusta’s new passenger terminal will provide easier and more convenient access to flights, baggage, and rental cars.

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport, located 70 miles away, offers access to all major air carriers including Continental, Delta and US Air Express. Two smaller airports, Aiken Municipal Airport in Aiken, S.C., and Daniel Field in Augusta, Ga., also serve the area.

Ports

The Port of Charleston, less than two and one-half hours away, is one of the four largest container-handling ports in the country. With $39 billion annually in international shipments, the Charleston customs district ranks as the nation’s sixth largest; Charleston’s harbor was recently deepened to 45 feet at mean low water, which should enable the harbor to serve even larger freighters. The port primarily exports to northern Europe and Asia-which account for 67% of Charleston’s total volume-but still serves more than 150 nations.

The Port of Savannah also provides a significant international shipping option; the Port’s Garden City Terminal is a dedicated container facility-the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Savannah’s Ocean Terminal is a break-bulk facility handling forest and solid wood products, steel, project shipments and heavy-lift cargoes, and CSX and Norfolk Southern provide service to both terminals.

Rail

More than 2,400 miles of railroad track run through South Carolina alone. The largest freight railroads in the country, Norfolk Southern and CSX, serve Aiken. The railroads bisect the region, carrying wood, chemicals, and plastics: CSX serves western Aiken County, namely Jackson and Beech Island, while Norfolk Southern’s mainline serves Aiken and Graniteville in Aiken County as well as Trenton and Johnston in Edgefield County. Aiken County owns a 4-mile Norfolk Southern spur that connects rail service directly with Aiken County’s Sage Mill Industrial Park. Available sites along that spur range from 15 to 150 acres; in Aiken overall, available rail sites with highway access range from 20 to 1500 acres.

Passenger rail service is available through Amtrak in Columbia and Charleston.