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Aiken and Edgefield counties exist in a truly unique position near the twin centers of Southern business - Atlanta and Charlotte - and within three hours of two of the largest ports - Savannah and Charleston - in North America. Businesses here thrive on direct and accessible roadways, reliable rail and air shipping, and a convenient import and export system.

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Located along the Georgia/South Carolina border, Aiken and Edgefield counties provide easy access to the South’s business, commercial, and manufacturing operations. For entrepreneurs and financiers, Aiken and Edgefield are less than three hours from Atlanta and Charlotte, the business and commerce capitals of the new South; for manufacturers and distributors, the region is just over two hours from the deepwater ports at Savannah-one of the five largest container-handling ports in the United States-and Charleston, which has the sixth-largest port in the nation in terms of cargo value.

For automotive suppliers, Aiken and Edgefield are positioned two hours south of BMW’s Greenville assembly and less than three hours east of Ford’s Hapeville assembly and GM’s Doraville plant. Not only is Aiken near the center of the country’s automotive manufacturing, but it’s also near the center of the country’s automotive research. In addition to the National Center for Hydrogen Research in Aiken County, the University of South Carolina’s National Center on Fuel Cell Research in Columbia is only an hour away, and Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in Greenville is only a couple of hours away. See interactive map for more information.

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Highways 
As a central point in the Southeast, Aiken and Edgefield counties are surrounded by a growing system of major highways, including Interstate 20, which allows businesses access to the major metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and Dallas, Texas. Interstates 26 and 77, which connect the region to Charleston, Greenville-Spartanburg, and Charlotte, North Carolina, are also nearby. Route 78 gives commuters an easy trip between Aiken and North Augusta and Highway 19, running north/south through the state, provides ready access to all points in Aiken County and south to New Ellenton.

In linking the region to all corners of the country, more than 30 freight lines serve Aiken and Edgefield, including American Freightways, Overnite, Roadway Express, Superior, and Old Dominion.

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Airports 
The Augusta Regional Airport, only 30 minutes from Aiken, offers flights to Atlanta and Charlotte through Delta Connections and U.S. Airways Express. Augusta’s new passenger terminal - planned to open in 2007 - will provide easier and more convenient access to flights, baggage, and rental cars.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport, less than one hour away from Aiken and Edgefield, serves the southeast regional hub for UPS and provides commercial airline service to dozens of destinations across the country. Columbia carriers include Continental, Delta, American Eagle, Northwest, United and U.S. Air.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport also offers regional businesses a foreign trade zone, located conveniently on a 108-acre tract within the complex, which allows manufacturers to purchase imported machinery, raw materials, and supplies at duty-free or reduced-duty rates. Merchandisers who import into foreign trade zones are only required to pay one merchandise-processing fee per week, which reduces costs to those who would otherwise have to file multiple fees.

With an emphasis on business and private travel, located just a few minutes from Aiken’s county center, the Aiken Municipal Airport serves the region’s general aviation and corporate flight needs with 3,800 and 5,000-foot runways. The Trenton Municipal Airport, located in Edgefield County, has one 3,600-foot runway.

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Ports 
The Port of Charleston, less than two and one-half hours away, is one of the four largest container-handling ports in the country. With $39 billion annually in international shipments, the Charleston customs district ranks as the nation’s sixth largest; Charleston’s harbor was recently deepened to 45 feet at mean low water, which should enable the harbor to serve even larger freighters. The port primarily exports to northern Europe and Asia-which account for 67% of Charleston’s total volume-but still serves more than 150 nations.

The Port of Savannah also provides a significant international shipping option; the Port’s Garden City Terminal is a dedicated container facility-the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Savannah’s Ocean Terminal is a break-bulk facility handling forest and solid wood products, steel, project shipments and heavy-lift cargoes, and CSX and Norfolk Southern provide service to both terminals.

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Rail 
More than 2,400 miles of railroad track run through South Carolina alone. The largest freight railroads in the country, Norfolk Southern and CSX, serve Aiken and Edgefield. The railroads bisect the region, carrying wood, chemicals, and plastics: CSX serves western Aiken County, namely Jackson and Beech Island, while Norfolk Southern’s mainline serves Aiken and Graniteville in Aiken County as well as Trenton and Johnston in Edgefield County. Aiken County owns a 4-mile Norfolk Southern spur that connects rail service directly with Aiken County’s Sage Mill Industrial Park. Available sites along that spur range from 15 to 150 acres; in Aiken and Edgefield overall, available rail sites with highway access range from 20 to 1500 acres.

Passenger rail service is available through Amtrak in Columbia and Charleston.

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