Wedding & Event Venue Near Spartanburg, SC.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The family of Casey Young, a missing woman in Spartanburg, held a press conference on Thursday asking for the community’s help. They fear the investigation into her disappearance has come to a standstill.

Young, 44, last spoke to family on the way home from work around 4:30 p.m. on May 15. She was reported missing the following day when she did not return to work at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, which is unusual.

The family, who gathered with posters and flyers at the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, wanted the opportunity to discuss the circumstances surrounding her disappearance in an effort to raise public awareness and hopefully receive information that would aid in Casey’s return.

“Casey, if you’re out there, just know that we will not stop looking for you,” her sister Rachel White said.

At the time of her disappearance, Young was living with her boyfriend, Da’ron Collins, in a home on Pratt Drive. Investigators have recovered surveillance video of Collins dumping Young’s car.

They also said during critical times on the day Young went missing, there are videos from the home’s security cameras that have been manually deleted.

Collins has been named a person of interest in Young’s disappearance. He is charged with obstruction of justice and grand larceny. But the whereabouts of Young are still unknown.

Casey Young, 44, last spoke to family on the way home from work in Spartanburg County around 4:30 p.m. on May 15.

“It’s been two months since my aunt’s been missing and we haven’t heard anything else from the detectives and the sheriff’s department,” said niece Zoe Gist. “As a family, I feel like we really do just want justice to be served and we just want to heal.”

Anyone with information about Young’s disappearance is asked to contact the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. An anonymous donor is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to her location and identification of anyone responsible for her disappearance.

“We miss you dearly, Casey,” said brother-in-law Larry White. “We wish and we pray that your whereabouts will be found soon and that you will be returned to us safely.”

READ MORE: Spartanburg man caught on camera dumping missing girlfriend’s car, solicitor says

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SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A Spartanburg County company is continuing to lay off its employees.

Earlier this week, job resource centers like SC Works, said they began to notice employees from Kohler Co. trickling into their location, saying they need help.

“At our comprehensive center in Spartanburg County, we did have an individual come in yesterday and apply for unemployment benefits and he expressed that Kohler was laying off second shift and that there would be many people impacted and that they would be keeping some warehouse workers,” said Nikki Burgess, project director at SC Works Greater Upstate.

Shortly after, Kohler Co. released a statement to 7NEWS, explaining their Spartanburg plant would be consolidating into one shift. The last day of work for the employees who are impacted will be July 31st, less than a week from now.

This move comes after Kohler Co. laid off nearly half of its employees in December of 2022. At that time, it said the plastics and warehouse operations departments at this site will continue.

“Someone losing their job and their livelihood is a huge deal and the stress that comes with that, the worry, and just knowing that SC Works Greater Upstate can provide resources at no cost to any individuals but more specifically those being laid off at no fault of their own,” said Burgess.

With this effecting many Upstate residents and their families, SC Works is hoping to see even more Kohler employees in these next few weeks at their Spartanburg and Greenville locations, to help them begin the job search process.

Kohler said the employees impacted will be placed on temporary layoff and will retain their benefits for the duration and recall rights.

Below is the full statement from Kohler Co.

“Kohler Co. regularly reviews operations to best serve customers and ensure that the company is positioned for long-term success. At this time, and after careful consideration, the company is consolidating plastics production and warehousing to one shift at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, effective July 31. As a result, impacted associates will be placed on temporary layoff and will retain their benefits for the duration and recall rights.

Overall, Kohler’s business is strong, and we remain well positioned as a leader in the markets in which we compete. We continue to aggressively invest across our U.S. manufacturing footprint to drive future growth and delight customers.”

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Greenville and Spartanburg were among five South Carolina cities mentioned in U.S. News & World Report's 2023-24 list of the 150 "Best Places to Live in the U.S.," released Tuesday.

The report analyzed 150 metro areas in the United States to find the best places to live based on quality of life and the job market in each metro area, as well as the value of living there and people's desire to live there.

Among the 150 US metros, Greenville ranked 31st on the list while Spartanburg was 43rd.

Other highlights:

18. Myrtle Beach: Golfer's paradise, retirement destination

Year after year, Myrtle Beach brings in tourists from all around the world, the magazine said. Outsiders know the city for its sprawling boardwalk and beaches, but its No. 28 ranking in best places to retire prove that it is also a great place to live. Young professionals, growing families and empty nesters will relish the city's warm weather and relatively low cost of living. Nature lovers will find that there is always somewhere new for their hiking boots to explore, like hiking at Huntington State Park or strolling the 60 miles of shoreline that run along the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach is also home to 90 golf courses, making it the perfect vacation getaway for those looking to score a hole in one after a long week at the office.

31. Greenville: Vibrant downtown, arts and athletics

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city, once the "textile capital of the world", has transformed into the Upstate's cultural and entertainment center, the magazine said. Its award-winning downtown is expanding with projects like the $1 billion County Square redevelopment and luxury McDaniel townhomes development. The city has many sports fans who proudly display their athletic spirit for Clemson University's Clemson Tigers and Greenville's Minor League baseball team, the Greenville Drive, who can be found swinging away at Fluor Field. Events like the three-day Artisphere, which has gained national attention, embrace talented artists and musicians, both local and from around the world, who keep the downtown scene bursting with color and sound.

Here's how much we donate to charity:Greenville County among the most charitable in SC

43. Spartanburg: The Hub City of international business

Spartanburg was once a major railroad intersection in the 19th century known as the "Hub City," its rich history predating the Revolutionary War, the magazine said. The city is now known for having a diverse collection of international companies like its full-time North American BMW plant. Downtown, it is hard to miss the Denny's restaurant chain headquarters, a tall building that sticks out off of East Main Street. It is also not uncommon to find locals dining with their pets at restaurant patios in the pet-friendly downtown. Institutions of higher learning and a burgeoning food scene keep locals busy with things to do.

Economist:BMW Plant Spartanburg adds $26.7 billion to SC's economy. Here's how.

53. Charleston: Charming architecture, fine cuisine

The magazine said, no one does southern hospitality like the Holy City. Its culinary scene lures food lovers from all around with its seafood and lowcountry cooking. Southern style clothing is featured through the fronts of boutique shops lining King Street, America's most distinctive downtown. History is preserved through cobblestone walkways, Spanish moss hanging from oak trees and spooky ghost legends that raise goosebumps on the arms. The city's summers are hot and humid, but locals use days like these to soak in the sun on the beach.

92. Columbia: Capital city features Gamecocks' sports, family fun

Residents of South Carolina's capital will find that there is plenty to do in the city, the magazine said. Columbia has a variety of music and art galleries around town, such as the Koger Center for the Arts and Township Auditorium. Home to the University of South Carolina, many residents bond over their love of USC sports, especially the Gamecocks football team. Parents also know that there is an abundance of places to bring children, like the EdVenture's Children Museum where kids can engage in scientific and technological learning activities, and the Columbia Museum of Art which contains an observatory, planetarium and 4-D theater. Traffic is relatively mild in the city, but don't be fooled ? Columbia is South Carolina's second most populous city.

Nina Tran covers trending topics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. —

A new baseball stadium is planned for Spartanburg, South Carolina, and would be home to a minor league baseball affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

The city announced Tuesday that the stadium would be the future home of a team currently playing as the Down East Wood Ducks in Kinston, North Carolina.

This project results from a partnership between the city of Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, the state of South Carolina, OneSpartanburg Inc., The Johnson Group, and Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates select minor league clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB), and which recently announced the acquisition of the Down East Wood Ducks.

Allen Smith, CEO of OneSpartanburg Inc., said the plans have been in the works for three years.

Smith said the stadium would be located on the land behind the AC Hotel.

“This is a great day for Spartanburg," said Jerome Rice, the mayor of the city of Spartanburg. "My colleagues on City Council and I are excited to work with The Johnson Group and Diamond Baseball Holdings to bring this transformative vision to fruition. It will be terrific to bring affiliated professional baseball back to Spartanburg. Additional affordable family entertainment coupled with needed white collar office space and other world class amenities will ensure Downtown Spartanburg is an increasingly impactful economic engine for this region. That benefits all residents of our City and County.”

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The proposed state-of-the-art stadium, developed by The Johnson Group, will be owned by the city of Spartanburg. Diamond Baseball Holdings is the club’s new majority owner and would lease the stadium from the city of Spartanburg. Robins & Morton would serve as the general contractor for the construction of the stadium. The team could begin playing in Spartanburg as soon as the 2025 Minor League Baseball season.

With 3,500 fixed seats and a 5,000-plus-square-foot Club Room, the new stadium would also serve as a year-round venue for public and private events. In addition to the stadium, the 16-acre mixed-use site in downtown Spartanburg would include multifamily housing units, office space, and entertainment options as part of a more than $250 million development project.

“The Texas Rangers look forward to working with DBH and The Johnson Group as they move forward on the stadium project in Spartanburg," said Neil Leibman, the Texas Rangers' president of business operations and chief operating officer. "We are excited about having our minor league affiliate in a tremendous new facility in the next couple of years. At the same time, we want to thank the City of Kinston for their tremendous support and assistance of the Wood Ducks franchise since 2017. It has been a great partner during this run, and we will be working with DBH to explore options to keep baseball being played at Grainger Stadium in the future.”

BMW's Plant Spartanburg pumps $26.7 billion into South Carolina's economy each year and supports 42,935 jobs and $3.1 billion in wages and salaries statewide, according to a report released Tuesday.

"BMW has had a tremendous impact on the state," said the report's author Joey Von Nessen, a research economist at the University of South Carolina's Darla School of Business. "Their arrival in 1992 transformed the Upstate and South Carolina."

Von Nessen presented his findings at an event Tuesday at BMW's Zentrum, where BMW President and CEO Robert Engelhorn gave an update on the plant's transformation to battery-electric vehicles. By 2030, the BMW Group plans to build at least six fully electric models in the U.S.

The economic impact study was commissioned by BMW Manufacturing.

The $26.7 billion reflects all goods and services produced in the state, both directly and indirectly, Von Nessen said. Direct and indirect economic multipliers were used to determine the figure.

For example, a direct impact of BMW's growth includes employee wages and benefits, equipment, building construction, technology, vendors and overhead costs. The spending creates demand and leads to new job creation.

An indirect impact comes from links between local suppliers, which in turn purchase materials and hire employees. Also, household spending is added, with wages spent locally by employees on food, health care, entertainment and more.

"These (repetitive) rounds of spending continue to ripple through the economy and ultimately affect many industrial sectors," Von Nessen said.

The report notes that since 2017, the total number of jobs created by BMW, directly or indirectly, increased an average of 4.3% a year. That's more than three times the state's average of 1.3% over the same period.

Von Nessen said nearly half of Plant Spartanburg's economic impact in South Carolina comes from its in-state supplier base. The plant regularly uses more than 500 suppliers statewide, with more than 90% of them located in the Upstate.

"For every 10 jobs created at Plant Spartanburg, another 25 are created elsewhere in South Carolina," the report states. "This multiplier is among the highest in South Carolina across all major industry sectors and more than twice as high as the average industry multiplier in the state."

BMW 30 years in Upstate South Carolina30 years later, German automaker BMW 'the gift that keeps giving' in Upstate SC

Last October, BMW Group announced a $1 billion capital investment to prepare the Spartanburg plant for the production of fully electric vehicles and $700 million to build a 1 million-square-foot high-voltage battery assembly plant with 300 new jobs in nearby Woodruff.

The $1.7 billion investment is the largest single investment ever in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster noted at the announcement.

S.C. Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey said South Carolina has become an "automotive powerhouse," thanks to BMW's decision to locate here three decades ago.

"I look forward to seeing how BMW and South Carolina continue to impact the future of the automotive industry," he said.

BMW already building electric vehicles for worldwide market

Headquartered in Germany, the luxury car maker in 2021 began production of fully electric vehicles at its Munich plant.

In North America, BMW currently offers two pure EVs, the BMW iX SUV and the BMW i4. In China, the automaker also offers the BMW i3 and its first-ever fully electric 7-series, the BMW i7 sedan, which is slated to be released in North America this year.

The Spartanburg plant has its own battery assembly facility onsite, which produces lithium-ion battery modules for three plug-in hybrid electric vehicle models – the BMW X3 xDrive30e, the BMW X5 xDrive50e, and the BMW XM. Last year, 69,200 electrified BMWs were produced.

BMW's roots in Spartanburg date to 1992 announcement

Engelhorn said BMW's Upstate roots began in 1992 when BMW Group announced it would build its first full manufacturing facility outside of Germany in Spartanburg County, with a $600 million capital investment and the creation of 2,000 jobs at the facility. The plant began production in 1994.

As of this year, BMW Group has invested a total of $12.4 billion in Plant Spartanburg, which includes six major plant expansions, the report states. Plant Spartanburg produces more than 1,500 vehicles a day and employs more than 11,000 workers.

Roughly two-thirds of Spartanburg's production was exported to more than 120 world markets from 2010 to 2020.Production of the first-ever BMW XM vehicle with a V8 gasoline engine and an electric motor began at Plant Spartanburg in December. The vehicle will arrive at dealers worldwide this spring, according to BMW.

It is being built along the same assembly line as the BMW X5, BMW X6 and BMW X7. The plant also produces the X3, X4, XM, X3 M, X4 M, X5 M and X6 M.

BMW Group is the largest exporter by value from the U.S., with a total export value of nearly $9.6 billion in 2022.