< Previous36 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION thrive here. We think of Winston and the IQ as a place that has low barriers for entry into the innovation and commercialization realm.” A New Door Opens in South Carolina’s Upstate Workforce innovation is the driving force behind the new Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences at Greenville Technical College. Already the largest employer of Greenville Tech graduates, Prisma Health has long partnered with the college to ensure a steady pipeline of nurses and other health professionals. Prisma operates seven hospitals across South Carolina’s Upstate region, including Prisma Health Greenville Memorial, the state’s largest. “Prisma Health and Greenville Technical College are committed to making an impact in our community by attracting, preparing and retaining the health care workforce of the future,” said Dr. Jonathan Gleason, chief clinical officer for Prisma Health, at an August 20 ribbon cutting ceremony last year. “With the opening of the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences, the future looks even brighter. Thanks to the college’s partnership, the center will be a driving force in shaping not only our workforce but the health of our community.” Designed by Atlanta-based architecture firm McMillan Pazdan Smith, the new three-story facility spans 137,000 sq. ft. and cost $69 million to construct, with Prisma donating $1.5 million toward the project. Cutting-edge amenities include advanced science laboratories, a mammography X-ray lab, suites for medical imaging and ultrasound and an Anatomage Lab, which enables interactive, 3D anatomy visualization as an alternative to traditional dissection of cadavers. Officials say the facility will produce up to 600 graduates annually. The new Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences is located at Greenville Technical College in South Carolina. Photo courtesy of Greenville Technical College SITE SELECTION MAY 2025 37 e center also anticipates welcoming , visitors each year, including prospective students and industry professionals. “ is innovative new facility,” said Dr. Keith Miller, president of Greenville Technical College, “is designed so that learning is on display, inviting visitors, potential students and those who are undecided on a college major to view the education taking place.” e new center joins a statewide life sciences sector that encompasses , fi rms paying an average wage of $, and has an overall annual economic impact of $ . billion, says SCBio, the state’s life sciences industry association. Among other recent projects to land in the state ecosystem is a -job, $ million manufacturing operation from autoinjector maker SHL Medical in North Charleston. Investments still to come could include the state’s fi rst clinical neurological and rehabilitation center for patients with brain and nervous system illnesses. It’s to be located next to the University of South Carolina’s soon-to-be-constructed School of Medicine building on its Health Sciences Campus inside the BullStreet District in state capital Columbia. e university says it is requesting $ million from the state budget next year to help pay for the $ million project. is innovative new facility is designed so that learning is on display, inviting visitors, potential students and those who are undecided on a college major to view the education taking place.” — Dr. Keith Miller , President, Greenville Technical College is innovative new facility is oming g INVESTMENT PROFILE: GREATER PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA T he Philadelphia Naval Shipyard served for nearly two centuries as a strategic shipbuilding, maintenance and repair complex. About , people worked there at its peak in World War II when more than naval vessels were built or repaired. Today, the Navy Yard is no less an engine of economic activity for the region. In fact, the ,-acre site has been undergoing redevelopment over the past years that to date has seen more than $ billion in public and private investment with $ billion more in the pipeline. e Navy Yard in is home to , employees working for employers, many of which are key players in the Philadelphia region’s thriving life sciences industry, including Iovance Biotherapeutics, Adaptimmune, Coriell Life Sciences, VintaBio and bioMérieux. Since acquiring the ,-acre Navy Yard site from the federal government in , the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), a public-private economic development partner of the City of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s master developer Ensemble / Mosaic have joined forces in reimagining the Navy Yard’s profi le from a former naval base to what is quickly becoming a live-work- play development with about , residential units, retail, green space and almost . million sq. ft. of life sciences manufacturing space planned, adding to its current , sq. ft. of lab space. “ e Navy Yard provides a uniquely integrated environment for life sciences companies to grow and thrive,” says Charlotte Merrick, PIDC’s director of Navy Yard marketing and communications. “It off ers state-of- the-art lab, R&D, and manufacturing facilities just seven minutes from Philadelphia International Airport and minutes from Philadelphia’s University City District. “For companies with larger-scale or highly specialized needs,” she adds, “the Navy Yard also off ers infrastructure- ready development sites suited for advanced manufacturing, R&D headquarters and GMP-compliant facilities.” e region’s life science industry extends beyond the Navy Yard, including the University City District 38 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION A Naval Complex Makes Way For a Novel Life Sciences District by MARK AREND mark.arend@siteselection.com The Philadelphia Navy Yard is an important key player in the Greater Philadelphia area’s life sciences industry ecosystem. Images courtesy of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). This Investment Profile was prepared under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. For more information, visit chamberphl.com. SITE SELECTION MAY 2025 39 as another main hub where world- renowned universities, hospitals, and research institutions are located, including the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Wistar Institute and the University City Science Center. Other key players contributing to the sector’s strength in the Philadelphia area are the Spring House Innovation Park and the Pennsylvania Biotech Center located in the Pennsylvania suburbs surrounding Philadelphia, the CRISP life sciences campus in Delaware and the Princeton West Innovation Campus in southern New Jersey. Ongoing developments also point to the region’s life sciences industry future, including the Bellwether District’s innovation campus and the Lower Schuylkill Innovation Campus. Combined, these resources contributed to Philadelphia’s fourth place ranking in Colliers’ 2024 Life Science Report of 18 markets based on their ecosystems’ ability to support life sciences industry growth and the markets’ real estate inventory and absorption. “Companies benefit from access to world-class talent drawn from the region’s top research universities and medical institutions, as well as workforce training programs designed specifically for the life sciences sector,” Merrick says. ‘Cellicon Valley the Clear Winner’ Greater Philadelphia is particularly well-positioned in the cell and gene therapy branch of the life sciences industry — it’s home to 10% of the world’s companies specializing in the field. Fred Vogt, interim CEO and general counsel at Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc., says the decision to locate at the Navy Yard in 2019 was the result of an extensive evaluation for a preferred location. The California-based company produces tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, including Amtagvi, the first FDA-approved T cell therapy for solid tumor indication, for people with cancer. “After performing a site selection process that reviewed 59 locations in 10 states, the Navy Yard and ‘Cellicon Valley’ was the clear winner,” says Vogt. “The Navy Yard provides an ideal location near Philadelphia and other international airports,” he says. “Our Philadelphia manufacturing network currently serves commercial Amtagvi patients with advanced melanoma across the United States and will hopefully soon provide this novel cellular immunotherapy to commercial patients in many other countries.” The company’s manufacturing network consists of Iovance’s internal manufacturing facility, the Iovance Cell Therapy Center (iCTC), and a contract manufacturer, Advanced Therapies, which helps ensure flexibility and ample capacity for both commercial and clinical production. Both are located in the Navy Yard. Iovance plans to more than double its current production capacity at the Navy Yard, adding hundreds of new jobs as part of an effort to ramp up cell therapy manufacturing at the site. “We are also expanding capacity to fulfill our longer-term vision,” adds Vogt. “The iCTC, as built today, has capacity for more than 2,000 patients annually. “Once we complete the ongoing buildout of existing shell space at iCTC, we expect to have total capacity for over 5,000 patients annually within a few years, and we are considering further expansions to the campus through additional construction,” notes Vogt. Additional expansion of the iCTC manufacturing campus is expected to provide capacity for over 10,000 patients annually. “Iovance is very excited to be part of the rich cell and gene therapy ecosystem within greater Philadelphia,” Vogt stresses. “This area is the birthplace of many of these therapies, the home of leading academic institutions active in cell and gene therapy research and the emerging hub for innovative biotechnology companies as well as contract development and manufacturing organizations.” Iovance Biotherapeutics plans to double its production of cancer therapy drugs at the Navy Yard.T he U.S. automotive industry continues to tread through murky waters as President Donald J. Trump seesaws on the implementation of a 25% tariff on automotive imports. The tariff would lock in on passenger vehicles, light trucks and key automotive parts, such as engines and electrical components, with the potential to expand and encompass additional parts. New policy changes are said to be made in an effort to protect the U.S. auto industry and boost domestic supply chains, as President Trump and his administration focus on threats to national security and practically eliminating dependence on products manufactured outside of the nation. Since President Trump’s proclamation signing, which invoked Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 in March 2025, the potential impact of the 25% (or more) tariff has thrown a hefty wrench into the workings of the global trade network. In the first week of April, tariffs on completed vehicles imported to the states went into effect. As of this writing, fees associated with automotive parts coming in have been temporarily postponed. Regardless, the global industry ecosystem now resides in a gray area shrouded in uncertainty as to how the full lifecycle of operations will continue and the potential impact of price hikes across the board. It’s led to unique solutions in the meantime. Automotive giants Honda and Toyota unveiled a new partnership following tariff news in March, announcing that Honda would begin tapping into Toyota’s U.S. battery supply. From Liberty, North Carolina, Toyota’s $13.9 billion battery manufacturing complex will supply Honda with enough batteries to power 400,000 hybrid vehicles. On the other hand, Ford Motor Company targeted consumer fears by offering employee discount pricing on its vehicles through its “From America, For America” campaign offering up to $10,000 off retail prices. Manufacturers such as Stellantis followed suit. Reluctance to impose fees on auto parts comes as the President attempts to offer manufacturers time to relocate production operations to the U.S., a process that takes years to configure. While the overarching goal is to drive American-made automobiles, it seems the industry has been ahead of the game for some time. NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE 40 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION Accelerates Stateside Electrification Image courtesy of Adobe Stock by ALEXIS ELMORE alexis.elmore@siteselection.comL ocated halfway between Miami and New York City, Northeastern South Carolina’s transportation and trade infrastructure makes moving product easy—both domestically and internationally. The region’s vast system of over 600 miles of state and federal highways creates a network of efficient truck routes to the region’s two interstate highways, I-95 and I-20, positioning the region perfectly to move product up and down the east coast and to many major markets to the west. Additionally, Northeastern South Carolina is home to the South Carolina Ports Authority’s Inland Port in Dillon, a rail- connected extension of the Port of Charleston. Extensive training resources underpin a strong regional workforce With the lowest union membership rate in the nation and education/training customized to employers, Northeastern South Carolina has the ideal labor climate for manufacturing operations. Companies utilize the region’s well- trained and industrious workforce to produce all-terrain vehicles, engine components, injection-molded plastics, machinery, steel, fabricated metals, packaging products, and much more. In fact, nearly one tenth of the region’s labor force is employed in manufacturing operations, which is a concentration rate 10% higher than the national average. This is largely the result of South Carolina’s nationally recognized workforce training and development programs, comprehensive technical college system, and four-year universities. Proven success With automotive manufacturers BMW, Honda, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz Vans thriving in South Carolina, the northeastern region of the state provides a great location for motor vehicle supplier manufacturing or distribution facilities. Known for its strong regional and international transportation infrastructure, business-friendly environment, and exceptional workforce, Northeastern South Carolina is here for your next business expansion to support your OEM customers with JIT deliveries. Explore, expand, and excel These advantages make Northeastern South Carolina a very attractive place to do business. To learn more about Northeastern South Carolina, reach out to the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), a regional non-profit economic development organization tasked with working with expanding companies to identify real estate options and to provide coordination between the many partners involved in the expansion process including utilities, permitting agencies, workforce training providers, and others. Visit their website at nesasc.org or contact Director of Business Development Jeffrey DeLung directly via email at jdelung@nesasc.org. Northeastern South Carolina offers extensive infrastructure and competitive advantages ADVERTISEMENT SITE SELECTION MAY 2025 41South Carolina News of BMW’s arrival to Upstate South Carolina in turned the page on a lengthy chapter steeped in the remnants of a once- thriving textile industry. e fi zzling out of textile manufacturing in Spartanburg left thousands without jobs and the community with no clear direction. It took years for former Governor Carroll Campbell and his team to convince BMW that South Carolina was the ideal choice for its fi rst U.S. manufacturing plant, recalls David Britt, who serves as vice president for Tindall Corporation’s South Carolina Division and vice chairman on the Spartanburg County Council. He recalls the overwhelming opposition the team faced at the time while cultivating incentives to secure the project centered around the region’s ability to manufacture vehicles. “ ey gave us hope and opportunity for our residents with these jobs, and we have responded by proving to those naysayers that not only can we build an automobile, but we build the best automobile in the world right here at BMW’s largest plant in the world,” says Britt. In March, BMW’s Plant Spartanburg rolled out its th millionth vehicle, a result of over years of growth. A year ago, BMW was confi rmed as the leading automotive exporter by value in the nation, bringing in $. billion alone in . Over the past decade, the campus has exported more than . million vehicles, equivalent to % of Plant Spartanburg’s total production and an export value of over $ billion. e facility currently produces , vehicles per day, up to , per year, manufacturing models including a suite of BMW X models, four BMW M models and two plug-in hybrid electric models. In , nearly % of BMWs sold in the U.S. were produced in South Carolina. “ e prime reason BMW came here was because of the pro-business attitude of the state, from the governor all the way down to city council,” says BMW Manufacturing Media Communications Specialist Steve Wilson. “ at alone was extremely important along with all the infrastructure that 42 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION BMW Group has invested over $14.8 billion into Plant Spartanburg since 1992. Image courtesy of BMW Group44 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION is here, the port, the airport and local universities and technical colleges. All of that creates a very sustainable quality of life.” A walk through Plant Spartanburg today takes one through a highly calculated and pristinely efficient workspace. Autonomous tuggers and Smart Transport Robots deliver various parts, sometimes weighing up to 2,000 pounds, with ease to employees throughout the freshly expanded lines of the assembly facility, while thousands of KUKA robots spanning the body shop maneuver massive tons of steel (70% of which is made in the U.S.) with unimaginable speed. A good portion of the vehicles manufactured at the site are custom built- to-order. Wilson says it has been key for suppliers to be at most a couple of hours away so when parts, such as specific seats, are unavailable at the facility they can be delivered and installed before a vehicle finishes moving through assembly that day. Plant Spartanburg now spans over 8 million sq. ft. and will soon begin production of at least six fully electric BMWs thanks to a previous $1 billion investment to prepare the site. There has been a lot of activity in motion as the facility opened its first North American press shop, increased its X3/X4 assembly hall to over 2.4 million sq. ft., completed a 300,000-sq.-ft. main body shop expansion and introduced a new eight-story body shop stacker for vehicle storage in 2024. At the same time, BMW is in the midst of construction on a $700 million lithium-ion battery cell plant with partner AESC in Woodruff. Recently, White House Senior Trade Advisor Peter Navarro alluded to BMW’s Spartanburg operations as a “scam,” stating that manufacturing international automobiles and parts is bad for the nation’s economy and national security. Britt shares a vastly different story, stressing the transformative economic impact BMW drove into Spartanburg, which has resulted in over $90 billion in various manufacturing investments from domestic and international companies whose industries will also be hit by new tariffs. “When Peter Navarro takes on BMW, I am their staunchest advocate and fighter because I have worked closely with them for 33 years. I know what they’ve done,” says Britt. “BMW always under- promises and over-delivers — they’ve done this for years. Last year, their economic impact in South Carolina was $27 billion, they have over 60 direct In March 2025, Plant Spartanburg produced its 7 millionth vehicle. Image courtesy of BMW GroupNext >