BMW's 31-year-old South Carolina factory is once again the German automaker's most productive manufacturing sites.
"Plant Spartanburg" cranked out 396,117 cars in 2024 — for an average of about 1,085 a day. The Greer-built rides ranged from the entry-level X3 sport-utility vehicle to the luxury oversized X7 model.
The "Home of the X" in along the I-85 corridor in the Upstate was also the nation's largest exporter last year, sending more than $10 billion worth of vehicles overseas, mainly through the Port of Charleston.
BMW's plant in Dadong, China — which makes the X5 and X3 as well as the 5 Series — finished second on the productivity meter with 343,973 completed vehicles, according to a company blog post.
Both the U.S. and China plants saw year-over-year declines in production — 3.6 percent in the Upstate and 18.2 percent in Dadong — during what automakers have termed a turbulent and unpredictable 2024.
All told, BMW plants worldwide produced about 2.5 million cars last year for a 5.6 percent decline.
The automaker has invested more than $13.3 billion at its Greer plant since planting its flag in the Upstate in 1992. The sprawling factory employs more than 11,000 workers and has capacity to produce more than 1,500 cars a day.
Showing its metal
The USS Gerald R. Ford is shown in 2016 at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. The company recently sent the first part made at its Goose Creek site to Virginia for use on another Ford-class aircraft carrier.
Newport News Shipbuilding is already on the move.
Last week, the marine manufacturer sent off its first Lowcountry-made steel structural unit for a Navy vessel — less than 60 days after acquiring the assets of metal fabrication firm W International at the Bushy Park industrial park in Goose Creek.
The part, transported by truck to the company's main shipyard in Virginia, will be incorporated into the USS Doris Miller, the fourth nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier that's expected to be commissioned in 2032.
It will be the second Navy vessel to honor Miller, a Black enlisted sailor who received the Navy Cross for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The other is the USS Miller, a Knox-class destroyer escort commissioned in 1973.
Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross in 1942 for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Miller, nicknamed Dorie, was aboard the battleship USS West Virginia in Pearl Harbor and helped carry wounded sailors before manning an anti-aircraft gun and — without any prior training — shot down at least one enemy plane. Miller, who was killed in action during a World War II torpedo attack by a Japanese submarine, was a nominee for the Medal of Honor.
The Navy plans to acquire 10 of the Ford-class carriers to replace aging vessels, with Newport News Shipbuilding — Charleston Operations helping to build large metal parts for those and the military's next-generation nuclear submarine program.
The shipbuilder, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, bought essentially all of the assets of W International in January. The $60 million deal includes 480,000 square feet of manufacturing space and equipment on leased land. Almost all of the roughly 500 workers who'd been with W International agreed to take jobs with the new owner, and Newport News Shipbuilding said it plans to double the site's workforce in the coming years.
On pause
Wells Fargo is pausing plans close its branch at Freshfields Village, where Kiawah, Johns and Seabrook islands converge.
The stagecoach drivers at Wells Fargo & Co. have pulled back on the reins on a plan to shutter a branch that serves Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns islands.
The bank recently filed an application with federal regulators seeking permission to close its 20-year-old retail office in Freshfields Village.
It has since changed its mind.
“We operate in a fast-changing and complex environment, which means we must regularly evaluate our branch footprint — both expansion and consolidation — to stay in step with the market needs,” a spokesman said in a written statement last week. ”After recently conducting another review of our branch footprint, we have made the decision to pause the closure of our Freshfields … branch.”
The office at 100 Village Green Lane was opened in June 2005 by Charlotte-based Wachovia, which Wells Fargo acquired in late 2008 in the depths of the so-called Great Recession. The $15.1 billion deal was what brought San Francisco financial services giant and its trademark stagecoach to the Charleston market.
Wells Fargo rivals Bank of America and First National Bank also operate branches at Freshfields.
New Heights
The signs they are a changing for a South Carolina-based short-term consumer lending chain.
All branches of 1st Heritage Credit, including 13 in the Palmetto State and three in the Charleston region, will be converted to Heights Finance as part of “an ongoing effort to streamline operations.”
The parent company announced the start of the changeover March 17. It did not say when the 1st Heritage brand will go away.
The two installment-loan providers are owned by Greenville-based Attain Finance, which also recently completed a name change. Until last month, the holding company went by Curo Group Holdings LLC, which emerged from bankruptcy protection in mid-2024 after eliminating more than $1 billion in debt.
When the 1st Heritage conversion is completed, the Heights Finance name will be on more than 350 offices in 13 states. Some of the offices were previously operated under other trade brands, including Southern Finance, Covington Credit and Quick Credit.
Attain's predecessor bought Heights Finance, formerly Southern Mangement Corp., for $360 million in 2021.
The lender was sued in federal court in Greenville in 2023 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over alleged loan-churning practices that saddled mostly low-income borrowers with layers of expenses. The company denied the allegations, and the embattled federal watchdog agency, which is facing deep cuts from the Trump administration, dismissed the complaint and several other high-profile lawsuits last month.
The 787 Dreamliner that Boeing Co. builds at its North Charleston campus is a finalist in this year's "Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina" contest.
Down to four
College hoops fans are still poring over their brackets, but there's already one Lowcountry entry in the Final Four of its own version of March Madness.
The 787 Dreamliner that Boeing Co. builds in North Charleston is among the four Palmetto State-made products vying for the top spot in the fourth annual "Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina" contest promoted by the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance.
The widebody is competing against the ClimateCool Smartbed made by Sleep Number in Richland County, fiber-optic cable manufactured by AFL in Spartanburg County and High Noon Sun Sips that Gallo produces in Chester County.
Voting for the final round takes place March 17-20 at the alliance website. The winner will be revealed by Gov. Henry McMaster at the Statehouse on March 26. More than 196,000 votes have been cast to date this year.
Working it
A neighborhood work club is coming to Charleston.
Switchyards is aiming for a late April opening in a location that's expected to be announced soon.
The concept is recruiting through its website for 250 $100 monthly memberships that includes communal desks, Wi-Fi, coffee and tea, meeting rooms, a "phone booth" area for privacy and 24/7 access.
It will be the company’s 24th location and its second South Carolina outpost. A Greenville site opened last year.
Survey says ...
A South Carolina airport is getting some national attention for the third year in a row.
Greenville-Spartanburg International was named the best in North American among its peers in the 2 million to 5 million passenger range in by the Airport Council International
The recognition is based on passenger surveys.
The Upstate airport received high marks in the dedicated staff, easiest airport journey, most enjoyable airport and cleanest airport categories.
GSP handled more than 2.6 million travelers last year, surpassing its prior traffic record set in 2019.
Southern Living likes
South Carolina is no stranger to big-time travel and tourism awards. But it's nice when the little guys garner some recognition, too.
The outdoor restaurant Lost Isle on Johns Island is a favorite of Southern Living. Henry Taylor/Staff
Lost Isle, an outdoor Johns Island establishment that opened in late 2023, earned the restaurant of the year nod from Southern Living in the The South's Best of 2025 roundup.
"With an open-air kitchen and live-fire cooking, Lost Isle ... redefines eating out," the lifestyle publication said.
It's the ninth annual reader survey for Southern Living that searched for hidden gems around the South. The poll was fielded from July 10 to Aug. 21 and had over 10,000 respondents and named Charleston as the overall top city.
Other restaurants that earned a shout out included Lewis Barbecue in Charleston and Greenville (the No. 6 Best City in the South). It was named best BBQ in the state.
Also, the Crab Shack in Charleston and Folly Beach ranked No. 5 for best seafood dive, The Windjammer on the Isle of Palms was named No. 3 best beach bar, The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island earned the No. 9 spot for best resort, and The Francis Marion at King and Calhoun streets took the No. 10 title of best classic hotel category.
