Logistics

The Charleston region has a strong bench of logistics and distribution leaders that keep freight moving and the industry growing.

Walmart set a big marker in 2022 by opening its $220 million, 3 million-square-foot distribution center at Ridgeville Industrial Campus in Dorchester County. The import distribution center stores and sorts goods arriving through the Port of Charleston, and it’s created jobs for more than 1,000 employees.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is another major anchor. A global leader in container shipping, MSC has been doing business in the region since the mid-1990s and employs nearly 500 people locally. In 2024, the company broke ground on a new, expanded Charleston office that will bring more corporate activity to the region — including bidding and procurement, customer experience, marine operations, and a large portion of MSC USA’s finance department.

And the roster doesn’t stop there. Providers like XPO Logistics, UPS, and FedEx operate across the market, supported by a deep workforce. In fact, Trade, Transportation & Utilities employs close to 80,000 people in the Charleston region, giving companies the scale they need for warehousing, distribution, and end-to-end supply chain operations.

Port access is a major reason the Charleston region has become a leading East Coast distribution hub. The Port of Charleston, the 8th-largest container port in the United States and the deepest harbor on the East Coast, is widely recognized for its capacity, operational responsiveness, and cargo fluidity. Together, these strengths help companies move freight efficiently and reliably while reaching customers and suppliers in more than 150 countries worldwide.

The Port of Charleston’s network extends inland as well, with container facilities in Greer and Dillon, SC connecting to the Port of Charleston with overnight rail service. And as a rapidly emerging Southeast gateway for cold-chain logistics and refrigerated cargo, logistics companies expand their capacities for temperature-dependent products.

Air cargo adds another layer of speed through Charleston International Airport, supported by providers like Atlas Air, Delta Cargo, FedEx, and Alaska Air Cargo.

Overnight rail connections to inland ports extend port capacity and shorten dray, helping operators reach customers faster across the Southeast and Midwest.

Logistics and e-commerce operators have room to grow in the Charleston region, where approximately 80 to 90 million square-feet or industrial real estate is on the market (with more under construction). Here, large-scale parks, port-driven demand, and highway/rail connectivity come together to support high-velocity distribution across the Southeast.

Camp Hall is the headline site. Named the No. 1 industrial park in the U.S., it offers 228 acres of remaining developable land with site-ready infrastructure that’s built for large footprints and quick timelines.

Bushy Park Industrial Complex is another major logistics hub, offering thousands of acres of industrial land near the Port of Charleston, interstate access, and rail infrastructure. The park hosts major manufacturers and suppliers and provides room for large-scale port-dependent operations.

Beyond these sites, the region’s industrial market is sizable and still building momentum. As of 2025, Charleston’s total industrial inventory reached about 80 million square feet, with more under construction.

Options for mid-to-large users are strong as well:

• Palmetto Commerce Park in North Charleston supports single-tenant and build-to-suit projects from roughly 105,000 to 300,000 square feet.
• Dorchester County offers three publicly-owned industrial parks with about 4,330 acres under development for industrial use.
• Ridgeville Industrial Campus is home to one of Walmart’s largest Southeastern hubs, designed to supply multiple regional distribution centers and support about 850 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across South Carolina and beyond.

Capacity continues to expand along key corridors. In Summerville, a new 600,000-square-foot warehouse was announced in January 2026 near I-26 — a major interchange with direct access to the Port of Charleston and major shipping corridors.

Companies involved in international trade can also take advantage of nearly a dozen general-purpose sites with Foreign Trade Zone 21. Comprising almost 8,000 acres (3,238 hectares) of space, foreign trade zones are restricted-access sites that allow businesses to store and process goods or raw materials duty- and quota-free until being transported into the Customs territory of the U.S. or into another USMCA country (Canada or Mexico).