SCMA announces new Board leadership: Grant Burns to Chair South Carolina’s leading manufacturing organization

The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) has elected Grant Burns as the chair of the organization’s Board of Directors, alongside its full slate of board members. The elections took place at SCMA’s two-day annual meeting.

Grant Burns is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of America Fujikura Ltd. (AFL), where he leads legal, compliance, government affairs, and other shared services. He also serves on the company’s board of directors, its executive committee, and he chairs AFL’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Prior to joining AFL in 2012, Grant practiced law for over 20 years, earning recognition from The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell. He is admitted to practice in multiple federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, and is a member of the SC Bar, VA State Bar, Association of Corporate Counsel, and Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.

A Clemson University alumnus, Grant also holds a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University. He received Clemson’s Distinguished Service Award in 2016 and has held several leadership roles with the university. He currently serves on the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and is active in civic and philanthropic efforts statewide.

“SCMA has a long history of delivering for manufacturers, and I’m proud to continue that work,” said Burns. “As Chair, I’m committed to seeing South Carolina’s manufacturing sector not only remain strong and competitive but also future-ready. We’ll make sure our industry’s priorities are at the forefront of conversations that shape the state’s economic future, so South Carolina continues to be a leading force in American manufacturing.”

The full slate of SCMA Board Members that were elected include:

Executive Committee

Chair – Grant Burns, AFL
Immediate Past Chair – Kevin Brown, Milliken & Company
First Vice Chair – Andrew Dill, Lockheed Martin
Second Vice Chair – Dan Royston, A.O. Smith
Treasurer – Curtis Hutto, Thompson Construction Group, Inc.
Textile Council Chair – Ellis Fisher, Inman Mills

Council Chairs

Automotive Council Chair – Matthew Hamrick, Mercedes-Benz Vans
Chemistry Council Chair – Nicole McCracken, BASF
Lowcountry Manufacturers Council Chair – Nate McGaughey, Nucor Steel Berkeley
Tire Council Chair – April Allen, Continental

Terms Expiring 2026

Dex Battista, Magna
Scott Craig, JTEKT
Ron Freed, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. South Carolina Manufacturing
Cameron Hamrick, Hamrick Mills
Jann Moore, Caterpillar Inc.
Francesca Mosteller, Michelin
Katie Yehl, Volvo Cars

Terms Expiring 2027

Bill Alexander, Celanese Polymer Products, LLC
Blair Belk, Coca-Cola Consolidated
Michelle DiMaio, Tetramer Technologies
Kate Konopasek, Toray Composite Materials America, Inc.
Scott Medley, BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
Tim Pearson, Duke Energy
Mark Whitten, Spartanburg Steel Products

Terms Expiring 2028

Jonathan Dawley, Kion
Chris Holtzclaw, Barnet
Lindsay Leonard, The Boeing Company
JP Tyson, Milliken & Company
Robert Wick, The Schaeffler Group
Jonathan Yarborough, Dominion Energy
Leighton Yates, 3M

Ex Officio

SC Future Makers Chair – Sidney Locke, Sage Automotive Interiors