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Director - External Affairs . South Carolina Department of Commerce
Columbia, SC
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The South Carolina Department of Commerce is launching a new office in Shanghai to help increase business opportunities with China. The new office will be operated by John X. Ling and will open in the spring of this year. The department reinforces the support of international firms through its offices overseas. It currently has offices in Munich and in Tokyo,both of which have existed for more than 20 years. The foreign offices have provided services to companies wishing to locate in the -Palmetto State, as well as other North American locations. "The office in Munich represents South Carolina's European base, and the office in Tokyo, the state's base in Japan," says Jack Ellenberg, director of global business development for the state. "An office in Shanghai will be a good central location in China for what the Department of Commerce wants to be a growing market."Ellenberg oversees five operating programs within the agency's business development department, including the soon-to-be third foreign office. He is also in charge of marketing and research, as well as capital investment and job creation from new domestic and international opportunities and from existing companies. South Carolina ranks No. 2 in the nation in the percentage of its private workforce employed by foreign investment, or jobs supported by U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies, according to a recent study released by the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University. Of the state's private sector workers, 8.1% are employed by international firms. The state also ranks 16th in the nation in total jobs created by international investment, and U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies employ 123,400 South Carolinians, according to the study. Over the past five years, the number of jobs created by international firms in South Carolina grew by 12,000, an increase of about 11%, lead by firms from Italy (34%), Germany (23%) and China (9%). On the expansion of South Carolina's international presence, Ellenberg says, "We are modeling the Shanghai office on the success we've had in our offices in Europe and Japan. Ling and his counterparts in Munich and Tokyo track what's going on in industry sectors overseas and will find projects that are a good fit for the state."Although Ellenberg says the foreign offices will work with projects regardless of industry sector, their focus is cluster driven. "When we are marketing, we are going after those projects where the state has an advantage and receptive climate for that company,automotive, aerospace, textiles, biotech."Project managers in South Carolina are also talking to existing industries in the state in those clusters: who's moving, who's not, what are the issues? They track projects and companies on a daily basis, which are good indicators on the status of the economy for South Carolina and globally. What are their indicators? First, they look at the impact of the exchange rate to make sure it is a favorable opportunity for companies to look at investing in North America or to expand an existing presence in North America. "We look at what a company or a cluster's market share is already, and see if the economy is on the upswing or downswing," Ellenberg says. "We target specific companies within that based on those criteria."Charleston is a hot market for companies in general, due to the infrastructure, enticement of the port, air service and accessibility to markets up and down the east coast and westward. The city also has outstanding existing corporate citizens, like Robert Bosch Corp. and Behr America Inc., who have been willing to talk to prospective companies about their experience working and operating in Charleston. "The foreign offices have played a major role in recruitment of companies from their respective regions. Tokyo was very instrumental in getting Honda and Fuji. The same can be said about our office in Europe," says Ellenberg, citing BMW and Global Aeronautica. "Opportunities are starting to present themselves in Shanghai. And we are also going to have an opportunity to assist South Carolina companies with trade opportunities overseas.""Everyone thinks about the impact that Chinese products have on the United States and the world, but not a lot of attention is paid to the opportunity China provides our S.C. companies in selling products over there," says Clarke Thompson, senior manager for international trade for the state's commerce department. Thompson leads the state's team of international business professionals who facilitate overseas export opportunities for S.C. companies. "While China specializes in components and lower priced consumer markets, a lot of what we sell is high value, machinery-related goods. And for every $1 million we export, 16,000 jobs are supported here at home."He says the commerce department has worked with several companies in the tri-county to organize trade missions, and worked last year to create nearly $150 million in sales for Harsco Track Technologies, a Columbia company that sells railway maintenance equipment to the Chinese government. And as China plans unprecedented railroad construction in 2005, Harsco's future there looks bright. "The office in Shanghai will be open for all companies to access the Chinese market. John Ling will be there to help South Carolina companies with problems they might be having with China, how-to information, and introducing the state's companies and products to prospective buyers," he says. Gregory Guest, who fills Ling's position as manager for international trade in Asia for the Columbia office, will team with Ling in Shanghai to do sales and client work for the companies interested in exporting to China. Although the department of commerce works stateside with companies of all sizes, they traditionally deal with small- to medium-size companies that have annual sales of less than $5 million and fewer than 10 employees. Thompson says most large companies are equipped to handle exports in-house. Once operational, the Shanghai office will be focused on getting South Carolina's name recognized by Chinese companies as a profitable place to do business. "Part of the challenge is identifying likely candidates eyeing the North American market and talking with them," says Ellenberg. "We do that through attending trade shows, through introductions from our corporate citizens already in business in the state, and through one-on-one introductions."Another part of the challenge is to identify businesses that will increase the per capita income for South Carolinians, as well as grow the knowledge-based, research and development industries,businesses like Global-Aeronautica, a shining example that will play in the state's favor. "What companies took from that was the accessibility to leadership from the governor's office and to leadership at the local level," Ellenberg says. "To win a project like Global-Aeronautica, you have to have a lot of players on the states' side, from our local elected officials all the way to the congressional level. We are a very pro-business state.South Carolina Department of Commerce Address
1201 Main StreetColumbia, SC
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