The state of South Carolina has for years relied on a low-cost economic strategy, but with the rise in outsourcing manufacturing to China, Mexico, and other low-cost based economies, South Carolina has since come to trail the national average in several measures of economic standing. The South Carolina Competitiveness Initiative outlines its strategic vision to build on the existing structures and clusters of the South Carolina economy, capitalizing on the strengths of the automotive, textile, chemical products, tourism, forest products, production technology, and power generation and transmission fields. From the report: “If prosperity is to rise in South Carolina, workers must create more value each year.” The report also focuses on the gap in value created per worker between South Carolina and the U.S. average, providing a foundation for moving towards achieving the goal of sustaining prosperity in South Carolina.