Sara Hazzard
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce today announced the formation of a new advocacy organization, formally combining entities, resources and leadership effective January 1, 2026.
The new organization – South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce (SCMC) – will be one of the largest and most powerful advocacy organizations in the history of South Carolina. Merging SCMA and the SC Chamber will allow the business community across the state to speak with one unified voice, bolster its presence in Columbia, expand its reach across South Carolina and align its goals.
"Combining SCMA and the SC Chamber offers a unique opportunity to speak with one strong voice for manufacturing and commerce in South Carolina — strengthening advocacy and programming that benefit all of us in the Palmetto State," said Grant Burns, who will serve as chair of the new combined organization, and who is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of AFL, a fiber optics manufacturer, in Duncan.
Burns and SC Chamber of Commerce Chair Thomas Rhodes led teams from both organizations in the merger discussions.
“This new, formal partnership represents an extraordinary moment to shape the future of South Carolina,” said Rhodes, who is a business owner, entrepreneur, and Partner at Rhodes Companies. “By bringing together two highly respected organizations into a single, influential voice for the business community, we will better serve our members, strengthen our ability to impact the decisions that affect our competitiveness, and drive lasting economic growth. Together, we will position South Carolina as a place where business and industry not only thrive but lead the way for years to come.”
Standing together with key allies and state leaders – including Governor Henry McMaster, House Speaker Murrell Smith and Senate President Thomas Alexander – Burns and Rhodes introduced Sara Hazzard as the President and CEO of SCMC. Hazzard, well-known to the business community and its leaders throughout South Carolina, has served as President and CEO of SCMA since 2018, and led SCMA government relations from 2004 - 2018.
“This is a transformational opportunity,” said Hazzard. “For more than a decade, Team South Carolina – from the governor’s office to the legislature, from our great businesses to community leaders – has consistently broken economic development records. Now is the time to keep building on this momentum. When the business community speaks with one voice, when we combine our resources, and when we commit to working together like never before, we will out-compete our neighboring states, and anyone around the country, for opportunities that lift up our families and communities.”
Burns and Rhodes signed documents commemorating South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce during an event at the Statehouse.