A stronger Columbia regionthrough research-backed action.
For many years, the Midlands Business Leadership Group has responded to the data and analysis found in the annual EngenuitySC Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report with collaborative efforts that have made Columbia, S.C. a first-choice place to live, learn, work and play. New this year, MBLG played an active role not just in response to the report, but in producing the report itself.
Past reports have inspired initiatives such as these.
Innovate Columbia
Capture Columbia
Bridging Columbia
Regional Gateways Project
The Midlands Regional Competitiveness Council
The Midlands Business Leadership Group has a long, positive track record of convening and collaborating to foster positive change. The MBLG Regional Competitiveness Council will follow that path.
The Council, in partnership with the University of South Carolina, will produce the Elevate Midlands report. Armed with this information and supported by the expertise and experience of its members, the council will then develop collaborative initiatives to turn report-identified opportunities into real-life success stories.
Understanding the Data
The Elevate Midlands Report primarily allows us to observe the Columbia MSA’s long-term trends and compare them directly to trends we are seeing in cities with which we compete.
The data lags an average of 18 months and is from the most current and reliable sources possible, such as the U.S Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Our Comparative Regions
Tallahassee, FL
Knoxville, TN
Chattanooga, TN
Richmond, VA
Greenville, SC
Winston-Salem, NC
Augusta, GA
Charleston, SC
Raleigh, NC
Greensboro, NC
Lexington, KY
Indicators of Competitiveness
Talent
A region’s ability to attract, develop and maintain a vibrant and skilled workforce.
View VideoInnovative Capacity
A region’s capacity to support the creation of new ideas, products and processes.
View VideoEntrepreneurial & Business Environment
A region’s relative ease of doing business and the strength of the support system for the startup, growth and maintenance of businesses.
View VideoIndustry Clusters
A region’s ability to sustain and grow high impact industries that are competitive on an international scale.
View VideoLivability
A region’s ability to build an inclusive and dynamic live, learn, work, and play environment.
View VideoEmployment Index
New to this year’s report, the Employment Index uses two metrics – one-year employment growth rate and five-year compound annual employment growth rate.
Interested in connecting with the Competitiveness Council?
Drop us a line here.
Sponsors
Help us share how our Midlands area businesses are making our region the best place to work and live!
The Midlands Business Leadership Group and the MBLG Regional Competitiveness Council are asking employers to share some of the ways they are helping make our region more livable and attractive to talent. The questions on this survey are designed to help us assess what employer best practices are prevalent in the Midlands, as well as provide a baseline for what practices might need improving.
These are questions that are not likely to be on other employer surveys, yet should not be difficult to answer. We’ve kept it brief.
A few notes about the survey:
• In most cases, a human resources professional may be the best person in your organization to respond to this survey. Feel free to forward.
• The information you provide will be de-identified from your company name.
• We will not share your responses individually. They will be aggregated across various demographics (industry, size, region, etc.) but anonymous.
• Everyone who completes the report and provides contact information will receive a summary of the results and a copy of the 2024 Elevate Midlands report.