International

International Companies

Greenville County benefits from the foreign investment of countries the world over. 

• Greenville has been rated #1 in the nation by Site Selection Magazine for both new and expanding international firms over the past decade.
• Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson is the top area for European Expansion in the US, according to Expansion Management Magazine.
• Since 2000, over 30 companies have either opened new or expanded current offices in Greenville County.  These investments represent over $1 Billion and 1,500 new jobs. 
• Over 80 different international firms are located in Greenville County.  The larger 10-county Upstate region encompasses over 240 firms from 24 different countries.
• Foreign companies located in Greenville include:  Samsung Networks America, Eurokera, Kyocera Mita, Michelin, Mitsubishi, Saint Gobain, Ahold, Magna, Bosch Rexroth, Pierburg, Nutra and GlaxoSmithKline.

International Center of the Upstate

The ICU (www.internationalupstate.org) offers many services to internationals designed to integrate cultures and help them get involved in the community.

• Language classes are offered in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and English as a second language.
• The ICU provides country contacts in the Greenville area for over 20 different countries around the globe.
• Personal assistance is provided to newcomers through the Ambassadors Program.  Help is offered in all aspects of establishing a life in Greenville, from school registration, choosing a doctor, to finding recreational activities for children.         
• The Women’s Club has monthly meetings with topics ranging from health, to children, to politics.  They also conduct day trips around Greenville and organize benefit events.
• Other activities at the ICU include films, lectures, seminars, children’s activities, and publication of a monthly newsletter.
  

Support Organizations

The Upstate offers many organizations to help incorporate internationals into local culture.

• The Alliance Française de Piedmont encourages friendship and cultural exchanges among Americans and native French speakers.  The Alliance is part of the 145-chapter network across the United States, as well as the larger global network. 
• Many international associations are located in the Greenville area including:
• The Greenville Chinese Association
• German-American Club of Greenville and German-American Chamber of Commerce
• Italian-American Club of Greater Greenville
• Hispanic Chamber
  
• Japan America Association of SC
• SC Association of Colombian Professionals
• Swiss American Society of the Piedmont
• India Association of Greater Greenville
• Friends of Internationals
• Greenville Sister Cities International
• South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  

Education Opportunities

• The Michelin French School derives its standards by those offered by the French Ministry of Education in order to allow for an easy reintegration upon return to France.  It is the only one of its kind throughout the nation.
• Japanese and German Saturday Schools and a Chinese school allow internationals to maintain their cultural and linguistic connections to their home nations through weekend classes.  
  
• The International Baccalaureate Program housed at local public and private schools is seen worldwide as a superior secondary education.  With an emphasis on foreign language fluency and fully developing the complete student, the IB program in Greenville is one of a kind in the Upstate.
• Agape English Language Institute has been offering intensive, high-quality English courses in a friendly environment and at a competitive price since 1993. Their goal is to give people the English language skills they need to reach their social, academic, and professional goals in the United States and around the world. Agape offers courses in Communication Skills, Grammar & Writing, Reading and Vocabulary, Pronunciation and TOEFL Preparation.
  

Other

• Restaurants: German, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai
• Groceries: German, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Mexican
• Religious Opportunities: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox
  

International Companies in Greenville County

View Company List

Company	Parent Company	Country
ABB	ABB Group	Switzerland
Accurate Brazing	Aalberts Group	Netherlands
Agfa Healthcare	Agfa-Gavaert NV	Belgium
Ahold Information Services (AIS)	Royal Ahold NV	Netherlands
Alfmeier Corp	Alfmeier Prazision AG	Germany
American Starlinger - SAHM Inc.	Starlinger	Austria
American Truetzschler	Truetzschler Group	Germany
Asobous USA, Inc	Asobous	Japan
Atlas Cold Storage	Eimskip	Iceland
Atlas Hydraulics	Atlas Hydraulics Inc	Canada
AVX Corp	Kyocera Corporation	Japan
Berliner Seilfabrik	Berliner Seilfabrik	Germany
Bierrebi International	Bierrebi Srl	Italy
Bosch Rexroth Corp	Robert Bosch GmbH	Germany
Bostik	TotalFinael	France
Bruckner, Inc	Bruckner Holding GmbH	Austria
Cemex	Cemex	Mexico
Coates and Clark	Coats and Clark	United Kingdom
COGNIS Corporation	COGNIS KGAM	Germany
Creform (Textube)	Yazaki Industrial Chemical Co Ltd	Japan
Deltex Medical Group	Deltex Medical Group	United Kingdom
DHL (Danzas Corp)	Danzas Holding Ltd	Switzerland
Drive Automotive Industries of America	Magna International Inc	Canada
Dunlop Sports Group	Sports World Group, LTD	United Kingdom
Eberspaecher North America	Eberspaecher Group	Germany
Ellcon National Division of Faiveley Transport Group	Faiveley Transport Group	France
EuroKera North America Inc	Saint Gobain / Corning, Inc.	France/USA
EDV Race Art LLC	Estilo de Vida Ltd.	United Kingdom
Eltex US Inc	Eltex	Ireland
EVS – US (Scan Master)	Elbit vision Systems Ltd	Israel
Fiberweb Simpsonville	Fiberweb	United Kingdom
Fitessa Fiberweb (Joint Venture)	Fiberweb and Petropar	United Kingdom / Brazil
Fuyao N.A. (Greenville Glass)	Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd	China
GlaxoSmithkline	GlaxoSmithkline	United Kingdom
GTP Greenville (Steel Heddle)	GTP Global Textile Partner	Belgium
Hanson Aggregates, Sandy Flat Quarry	Hanson PLC	United Kingdom
Hitachi Electronic Devices (USA) Inc	Hitachi Ltd	Japan
Inlingua	Internationale Inlingua Sprachschulen	Switzerland
Innegrity LLC	Innegrity Europe GmbH	Germany
Intech USA Inc	Intec GmbH	Germany
Ionic Technologies	Aalberts Industries	Netherlands
Izumi International	Izumi International Co., Ltd	Japan
JTEKT (formerly Toyoda Koki)	Koyo Seiko	Japan
KS Bearings Inc.	Kolbenschimdt – Pierburg AG	Germany
Kuehne & Nagel Inc	Kuehne & Nagel International AG	Switzerland
Kyocera Mita South Carolina, Inc	Kyocera Corporation	Japan
Lube USA Inc	Lube Corp	Japan
MacSteel	MacSteel (PTY) Ltd.	South Africa
Maillis Strapping	M.J. Maillis Group	Greece
Mariplast N.A.	Mariplast SPA	Italy
Metromont Materials Corp	RMC Group PLC	United Kingdom
Michelin North America	Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin	France
Mitsubishi Polyester Film LLC	Mitsubishi Chemical Corp	Japan
Morgan AM&T  (National Electric Carbon Products)	Morgan Crucible PLC	United Kingdom
Moventas, Inc	Moventas Oy	Finland
Neuenhauser	Neuenhauser	Germany
Nippon Carbide Industries (SC) Inc	Nippon Carbide Industries Co., Inc.	Japan
Nissan North America, Inc.	Nissan Motors Co. Ltd	Japan
Nutra Manufacturing USA	Royal Numico	Netherlands
Panalpina Inc	Panalpina Welttransport AG	Switzerland
Pierburg Inc.	Kolbenschmidt - Pierburg AG / Rheinmetall Berlin AG	Germany
Prettl Electric Corp	Prettl GmbH	Germany
redi-Group North America LLC	redi-Group GmbH
REMA USA, LLC	REMA Lipprandt GmbH & Co KG	Germany
SAATI Americas	SAATI Groups S.p.A.	Italy
Saint Gobain Abrasives, Inc	Saint Gobain	France
Samsung Networks America, Inc.	Samsung Corporation	South Korea
Siroflex	den Braven Sealants BV	Netherlands
Sloan Construction Co	Colas, SA	France
Soltex	Pratrivero SPA	Italy
Solutience	BMW AG	Germany
Stueken LLC	Hubert Stueken GmbH & Co	Germany
Suncall America Inc	Sanko Sensai Koygo co	Japan
Swisstex Inc / Foam Partner	Foam Partner Group	Switzerland
TEXO Inc	TEXO AB	Sweden
TKI Inc	Kolektor d.o.o.	Slovenia
Tomos USA	Tomos Inc	Slovenia
Transtech of South Carolina	Frandstan Electric Ltd	United Kingdom
Vetroresina	Vetroresina	Italy
Vopak Logistics Services	Vopak	Netherlands
WF Industrial Supply Inc	WF Industrial Supply Inc	Canada

Source: SC Department of Commerce, Upstate Alliance, Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and Greenville Area Development Corporation

Last updated February 28, 2011.