“G” is for Greer

“G” is for Greer (Greenville County; 2020 population 35,316). Situated midway between Greenville and Spartanburg, along the line of the Richmond and Danville Air Line Railway, Greer was incorporated in 1876. By 1908 there were four cotton mills in operation. Greer suffered through hard times during the Great Depression but some relief was afforded by the establishment of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp near the town in 1934. In 1992 German automaker BMW selected the town to be the site of its first complete automobile manufacturing facility outside of Germany. The plant opened in November 1994 and was hailed as the crowning achievement of South Carolina's ongoing efforts to recruit foreign manufacturers. Due in large measure to the arrival of the BMW facility, Greer became one of the fastest growing cities in the state during the 1990s.