South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt Receives the Welling Award for Regional Collaboration

UPSTATE, SC – South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt has been recognized as the 2014 recipient of the Welling Award for Collaboration, which is presented by Ten at the Top (TATT) in honor of the organization’s founding chairman Irv Welling.

Welling presented the award to Mr. Hitt at the Our Upstate Vision/Ten at the Top Regional Forum on November 13th.

“We are having economic success in South Carolina because we are working collaboratively at the local, regional and state level,” Hitt said. “It just makes sense that when we are all working towards the same goal we can achieve success.”

The Welling Award is given to recognize individuals, businesses, or organizations whose actions have demonstrated a sustained commitment and effort to developing and fostering regional collaboration(s) that work strategically to make the Upstate one of the best places to live, learn, do business and raise a family.

“Bobby Hitt was promoting collaboration in South Carolina before it became popular,” Welling said. “Whether during his BMW days or now, he has always been seen the value of working collaboratively and done everything he can to make it happen.”

Ten at the Top is a regional collaboration organization focused on promoting collaboration, partnerships and strategic planning across the Upstate on issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life in the ten-county region. Welling served as chairman of Ten at the Top from its founding in 2005 through 2011.

Irv Welling and TATT Chairwoman, Carol Burdette present Bobby Hitt with the 2014 Welling Award

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