SCTAC CEO Jody Bryson awarded Order of the Palmetto

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster presented the Order of the Palmetto today to Jody Bryson, president and CEO of the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center in Greenville. Established by Governor John C. West in 1971, the Order of the Palmetto is South Carolina’s highest honor. It is awarded in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service, and contributions on a national or statewide scale.

“Throughout his life, Jody Bryson has worked to make South Carolina stronger and more competitive,” said Gov. McMaster. “He has dedicated his career to serving our state and helping create opportunities for future generations. I am proud to present him with the Order of the Palmetto in recognition of his leadership at SCTAC and his role in strengthening one of South Carolina’s key economic assets.”

Since taking the helm of SCTAC in 2007, Bryson has helped turn the 2600-acre business park into a $6 billion-a-year economic powerhouse fueled by the aerospace, automotive and advance manufacturing industries.

History

SCTAC’s origins date back to 1942 when the property served as the Greenville Army Air Base for 20 years before being closed by the U.S. Air Force. In 1964, the land and all remaining assets were purchased by the City and County of Greenville for the establishment of a business park. The joint agency operated as Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park for 46 years.

In 2007, Bryson was hired as executive director. Recognizing the park’s immense value to the statewide needs of South Carolina’s top industry sectors –– aerospace, automotive and advanced manufacturing –– his first major order of business was to develop a global economic development strategy designed to attract foreign direct investment for the state.

Part of the strategy was to rebrand the park from Donaldson Center to the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center (SCTAC). Positioning the park as an ideal location for technologically advanced manufacturing and aviation/aerospace businesses, the new name proved very effective at marketing the park statewide and globally.

Two significant developments have defined his leadership at SCTAC more than anything else. One was the effort to bring F-16 production and sustainment to Lockheed Martin at SCTAC. The other was repurposing a long-dormant aircraft runway on the campus of SCTAC into a world-class automotive proving ground. Today, the International Transportation Innovation Center (ITIC) is a crown jewel for South Carolina automotive business recruitment, and a preferred proving ground for automotive OEMs, suppliers, and research universities in and beyond the Palmetto State.

Overwhelming proof that Bryson’s economic development strategy paid off is through a series of economic impact studies. In 2007, SCTAC had a total economic impact of $1.4 billion. By 2018, the annual impact had nearly doubled to just over $2 billion. A December 2024 study revealed that SCTAC’s annual statewide economic impact had tripled to $6.1 billion. The study also found that the park supports 1 out of every 9 manufacturing jobs in the Upstate with an average annual job wage of $91,456 –– a 70 percent wage premium over the average annual wage across all jobs in the Upstate.

A native South Carolinian, Bryson began his career as an executive advisor to S.C. Governor Carroll A. Campbell. Today he is actively involved with many local, regional, national and international economic development organizations, including serving as vice chairman of the executive committee of the Upstate S.C. Alliance.

In 2012, the SC General Assembly elected Jody to represent the 4th Congressional District on the Francis Marion University Board of Trustees, where he is currently serving a third consecutive term.

A first-generation college student, Jody earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Clemson University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina. He is a graduate of Leadership South Carolina, Leadership Greenville and is a Riley Institute Fellow.

About SCTAC

Established in 1964 as a joint agency of the City and County of Greenville, S.C., the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC) is a self-sustaining 2600-acre business airpark boasting the state’s largest general aviation airport –– Donaldson Field –– and home to more than 100 automotive, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing companies. Chief among them is aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, which operates the world’s only F-16 production and sustainment site at SCTAC. Automotive OEMs and suppliers are also served at SCTAC, partly due to its subsidiary, the International Transportation Innovation Center, South Carolina’s world-class automotive proving ground. Visit www.sc-tac.com to learn more.