Norris Thigpen, Director
nthigpen@scda.sc.gov
803-708-7003
Hannah Arndt, Program Coordinator
harndt@scda.sc.gov
803-939-5751
With nearly 25,000 farms, the Palmetto State is fortunate to have a strong, growing agribusiness cluster based on the abundance of arable land and driven by sophisticated, highly productive, and diversified private enterprise.
Collectively referred to as the agribusiness industry, the agriculture and forestry industries represent the largest economic sector in the state with an economic impact of over $50 billion dollars annually, providing more than 259,000 jobs.
The Office of Agribusiness Development (OAD) was established in 2015 as a division of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. The OAD was created to support and encourage the expansion of the existing industry while also strategically recruiting other agribusinesses.
For more information on our competitive incentives, visit our website.
The Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE) is housed within the SC Department of Agriculture’s Office of Agribusiness Development to encourage and support the continued advancement of ACRE entrepreneurs and research. To learn more about ACRE, visit acre-sc.com.
