Defense Manufacturing Companies in South Carolina

South Carolina has approximately 4,500 manufacturing establishments and 260,000 manufacturing employees. South Carolina is a booming automotive and aerospace state, with BMW's largest plant in Spartanburg, Boeing's 787 line in Charleston, and Volvo's assembly plant in Ridgeville.

South Carolina contributes to the national defense manufacturing landscape. Defense manufacturing encompasses companies that produce military vehicles, weapons systems, ammunition, body armor, communications equipment, and other materiel for the US Department of Defense and allied nations. This sector includes prime contractors like Raytheon and General Dynamics as well as thousands of specialized small and mid-size suppliers.

Prime Contractors: Large defense companies like Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman that lead major weapons programs.

Armored Vehicle Manufacturers: Companies producing tanks, armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant vehicles, and military trucks.

Munitions & Ordnance Producers: Manufacturers of ammunition, missiles, bombs, and explosive ordnance components.

Communications & Electronics: Companies building ruggedized radios, radar systems, electronic warfare equipment, and C4ISR systems.

Small Arms & Weapons Systems: Manufacturers of firearms, crew-served weapons, and weapon system components for military use.

Major industrial centers in South Carolina include Charleston, Greenville, Columbia, Spartanburg, and Greer. These cities have concentrations of manufacturers across sectors including automotive oem manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, and automotive tier 1 suppliers.