Financial Web Site Lists Upstate Area As One Nation's Top Manufacturing Spots

24/7 Wall Street, a financial interest web site, has ranked the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley area as No. 4 on its list of "American Cities Where Manufacturing Is Booming. 

The list takes into account various metrics like manufacturing's contribution to export growth, positive and negative change in gross domestic product and the rate of export growth to come up a compilation of areas that are seeing a manufacturing revival. 

 The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. is listed at No. 1 on the list, but the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley area, which boasted a 14.9 percent exports share of GDP in 2011, makes the rankings at No. 4. Michelin North America, BMW Manufacturing Corp, and textile and R&D company Milliken & Company are among companies mentioned by name contributing to the area's success. 

In April, that will bring hundreds of jobs to the state, while BMW has made a few of its own regarding hiring and expansion.