Upstate Launches Survey to Identify Barriers to Exporting
March 12, 2014
UPSTATE, SC – March 12, 2014 – The Global Cities Exchange core team, in partnership with the Upstate SC Alliance and economic development organizations across the region, has launched on online survey as part of a market assessment for the Upstate’s participation in the Global Cities Exchange, a four-year program of the Global Cities Initiative a joint project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase. The results of the survey will be used later this year in the development of a regional export plan to help build our region’s export capacity.
Through this online survey, the core team is looking for input from business services providers, manufacturers, and support organizations across the region regarding their current level of exporting activity, the export-related challenges they face, and the policy and measure they think could encourage further growth in exporting. Information collected through the survey will remain confidential.
This survey, a component of a research and data-driven market assessment, will insure that the strategies scheduled to be developed later this year as part of the regional export plan are based on facts rather than assumptions.
“Research shows that companies involved in exporting pay higher wages, grow at faster rates and weather economic downturns better. This survey is critical to get an accurate depiction of the needs of local companies. The strategies that develop as a result of our market assessment will allow us to work with our partners to build new tools for companies in our region, tools that will assist them in reaching higher levels of competitiveness,” states Elizabeth Feather, core team leader for the Upstate’s participation in the Global Cities Exchange.
Upstate companies of all sizes and types are encouraged to access the survey at www.upstatescalliance.com/goglobal. Any additional questions regarding the survey or program can be directed to Elizabeth Feather with the Upstate SC Alliance by email at [email protected] or by phone at 864-283-2306.
About the Upstate SC Alliance
The Upstate SC Alliance is a public/private regional economic development organization designed to market and brand the Upstate of South Carolina. The Upstate represents the commerce-rich northwestern corner of South Carolina, including the I-85 corridor and the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson combined statistical area. Additional information is available through the Alliance’s website, www.upstateSCalliance.com.
About the Global Cities Exchange
In late 2013, the Upstate region was accepted into the prestigious Global Cities Exchange, a four-year program of the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase. As members of the Exchange, the Upstate SC Alliance and partners will guide leaders in our area to develop a regional plan for increasing exports and a regional plan for increasing foreign direct investment. These plans will serve as the basis for a stronger global engagement strategy for the region and will drive the Upstate’s economic development efforts for years to come.
