S.C. Department of Commerce launches new Landing Pad program

Initiative designed to assist established companies with small-scale entry operations in South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Commerce announced the official launch of its new Landing Pad program. A collaborative effort with the state’s regional economic development alliances, the Landing Pad program aims to assist established companies from around the world who are looking to enter either the U.S. or South Carolina markets for the first time.

Through this program, the Department of Commerce will encourage and enable global companies to put feet on the ground in South Carolina by streamlining what can be perceived as an overwhelming process in an unfamiliar market. From regulation and taxation issues to translation or office space, the Landing Pad program will connect businesses to the appropriate service providers through the state’s regional economic development partners, helping them get started in a reliable and cost-effective way.

“We frequently come across successful and growing global companies who know that they have market potential here, but aren’t quite ready to dive in and open a full-scale manufacturing facility before testing the waters,” said South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “These firms want to be conservative and begin with a sales and marketing office, or a small warehouse with a few employees – but they don’t know where in the U.S. to go, or how to start. The Landing Pad program will allow us to help these companies minimize the risk of establishing operations in a new market and guide them through the process.”

By helping businesses make necessary connections and navigate the requirements for doing business in the state, this program will allow companies to focus more on securing new North American sales and expanding existing customer bases. In the end, the goal for the Landing Pad program is to ensure an even greater success rate for these companies and lay a foundation for future investment and job creation in South Carolina.

For more information on the Landing Pad program, contact the S.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of International Strategy & Trade at [email protected].

About S.C. Department of Commerce
As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow.