Life science companies eye Greenville for strong talent pool, experts say

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Life science companies eye Greenville for strong talent pool, experts say

Life Sciences continues to be the fastest growing industry in South Carolina.

The industry has grown 42% in the state since 2017 and has an annual economic impact of $25.7 billion, according to the South Carolina Biotechnology Innovation Organization or SCBio.

Greenville has specifically emerged as a thriving innovation hub for medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the life sciences sector. Several life sciences companies have relocated or announced plans to locate in the Upstate in recent years.

The most recent example is Samaritan organic productsa Tennessee-based medical technology company specializing in human amniotic allograft products. The company plans to open a $5 million manufacturing facility in Greenville County and bring 85 new jobs to the market.

Sam Konduros, president and CEO of Greenville City Economic Development Corp., said life sciences companies pay some of the highest salaries and wages of any industry — well above average pay rates in Greenville . According to SCBiothe average salary for a life sciences job is $87,369, which is 79% higher than the state average salary.

Economic development and industry leaders point to a key asset that makes Greenville attractive to life sciences companies: the quality of local talent. Greenville ranked among the nation’s top 20 markets for life sciences talent, according to a report published by CBRE in June 2024.

Max Stewart, CEO of Greenville Area Development Corp., explained that there is a strong pipeline of talent from the 26 local colleges and universities upstate. Some prime examples include Clemson University, University of South Carolina Upstate, Furman University, and Greenville Technical College.

Learn more about life sciences in Upstate South Carolina

When helping companies establish a foothold in the region, Stewart and his team encourage life sciences companies to recruit locally and partner with higher education institutions to ensure they produce the type of talents they need.

“If we’re not producing the right talent, we’re not going to recruit these companies,” Stewart said. “We do a really good job in the Upstate matching students with businesses because they’re the ones that need the workforce.”

James Chappell, president and CEO of SCBio, explained that not only does Upstate South Carolina have excellent access to talent, but the quality of life for that talent is also strong. This allows life sciences companies to recruit talent to stay in the region.

“I think it’s easy to recruit talent in Greenville. It’s not a hard sell once people come,” Chappell said. “Once you start building that community, it kind of snowballs.”