Feasibility Study Will Expand Advanced Manufacturing
in the Centralina Region

February 2006

As appeared in the Centralina Council of Government's Regional Focus newsletter

The Centralina Economic Development Commission (CEDC) hired the consulting firm AngelouEconomics to conduct a feasibility analysis to establish Advanced Manufacturing facilities in the Centralina region. Three South Carolina counties, Chester, Lancaster and
York (part of the Catawba Regional Council of Governments) have joined Centralina in this effort.

The final report will provide a strategy for sustaining industry growth through the development of an Advanced Manufacturing Center in the region. The report will also identify ways to provide concentrated technical assistance to help small and medium sized firms incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies.

The first part of the study will scan the Centralina region’s current manufacturing assets and existing resources for supporting the growth of advanced manufacturing companies. This scan will include indepth profiles for key industry sectors that can incorporate advanced
manufacturing techniques such as bioinformatics, automotive and motorsports, and security and defense.

The second section will identify advanced manufacturing niches that hold the most opportunity for the Centralina region, and will outline the technologies, processes and infrastructure required to support the niche sectors and target businesses. 

The feasibility study is funded through a grant from the Economic Development Administration and matching funds from local partners. The anticipated completion date
is May 2006.