In the Upstate, Businesses and Communities Grow Together

As the Upstate continues to grow, companies investing in their people are shaping what the region becomes. Workforce development isn’t a program or an initiative. It’s a commitment to the long-term health of a community.

“I spend a lot of time with employers across the Upstate, and the workforce conversation is about more than filling jobs,” said Kara Bloomberg, president of Landrum, Inc. “It’s about building communities where people have opportunities, and businesses have access to the talent they need. When you get that right, economic growth follows. That’s what drives us.”

Landrum invests in education partnerships and industry collaborations that build the region’s talent from the ground up, connecting schools, technical programs, and local businesses so people gain the skills employers are hiring for.

“When classrooms prepare students with the skills growing companies need, both businesses and communities benefit,” Bloomberg said.

Much of Landrum’s work has been with healthcare and manufacturing companies, but it reaches well beyond specific industries. Employers everywhere tend to face the same challenges: finding the right people, keeping them, and building a culture where they can do their best work.

“The problems employers face are more universal than they realize, and so are the answers,” Bloomberg said. “Our job is to help them build a plan that works for their business and for the people they employ. We help build better businesses, because that’s how you build better communities.”

In the Upstate, businesses and communities grow together – UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL