Business & Industry

Chester County is strategically located in the center of three large commercial centers - Charlotte, N.C., Columbia, S.C., and the Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan area. Rail and highway transportation supports each of these centers and allows area businesses and industry to send and receive goods quickly and efficiently.

Although textiles served as the major industrial base for decades, Chester County has enjoyed a diversification of its industrial base over the past 20 years. Textiles remain a major player in the area economy, other businesses and industries have found the workforce in Chester County to be reliable and productive and the infrastructure beneficial for their businesses. Today the County produces textiles, plastics, steel, glass, fiberglass, paper, wood products, and several types of specialty chemicals.

The area's retail businesses have also seen growth in recent years. A host of retail establishments, both large and small, have developed in the County over the past decade giving residents more shopping choices and keeping the County's dollars at home.

More than 300 businesses and industries make up the membership of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce. Members make frequent use of the services and resources offered by the Chamber, including industrial roundtables, human resource events, small business seminars, and other networking opportunities which help strengthen the business community in Chester County.