SC Council on Competitiveness Convenes Aerospace Firms at SCRA’s New Facility

Aerospace firms from across the state gathered on April 29 at the new offices of the South Carolina Research Authority in Summerville. Attendees enjoyed lunch and networking time before being welcomed by Steve Townes of Ranger Aerospace, who was recently announced as the Chairman of SC Aerospace.

Townes spoke about the purpose of the newly organized SC Aerospace leadership group to provide a unified voice for the industry in South Carolina to advocate for strategic growth of the aerospace cluster. “Let’s not stumble into it. Let’s focus on how we want it to look in five to ten years,” said Townes.

RBC Bearings, an international company with a branch located in Westminser, SC, delivered the company spotlight presentation.  RBC’s Westminster location manufactures tubular structures (control rods) for a range of aero structures.

Meg Howell, Vice President of Advancement at Trident Technical College, presented on the proposed South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center – a facility designed to create a highly skilled workforce for the aerospace cluster.  The aerospace programs at Trident Tech are already in high demand, with over 200 students on the waiting list. The project will cost $70 million, half of which has already been raised.

The event was one in a series of quarterly networking events designed to connect aerospace companies with one another and with assets in the state that can benefit the aerospace industry. The event series is one of many activities implemented by the SC Council on Competitiveness in partnership with the SC Department of Commerce to develop South Carolina’s aerospace cluster.

The next SC Aerospace networking event will meet in Greenville this fall. For more information, contact Director of Aerospace Initiatives for the SC Council on Competitiveness Deborah Cameron at dcameron@sccompetes.org.