Manufacturing is Cherokee County’s leading industry, and the community is poised to continue to serve manufacturers looking to do business in the Southeast. With low energy costs, a Right to Work state environment, and access to major Southeast markets such as Charlotte and Atlanta, Cherokee County is a prime location.

The Upstate is home to some of the world’s most forward thinking companies including world leaders in the development and application of cutting-edge technologies in a multitude of industries. Cherokee County is located along the border of North Carolina, and is in close proximity to the Clemson University research institution and its industry collaborations. Cherokee County is also home to Limestone College, an accredited, independent, liberal arts college located in Gaffney, and a satellite campus of Spartanburg Community College.

The Spartanburg Community College Cherokee Campus was established in 2003 and is a 74-acre state-of-the-art facility located near Interstate 85 in Gaffney. The facility offers foundational courses in most SCC programs and provides students with complete training in several areas key for manufacturing: Machine Tool Certificate, Mechatronics Certificate I & Associate Degree, and Welding Certificate & Associate Degree.

Bericap, a maker of plastic bottle caps that operates 21 factories in 19 countries across the world, chose to grow in Cherokee in 2013 with a $29 million investment that expanded its facility by 90,000 square feet.