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Interesting Facts
- With Greenville's reputation as a business and high-tech manufacturing center, it comes as little suprise that engineering is a prominent occupation. In fact, Greenville has more engineers per capita than any other county in the United States. Helping this cause is the presence of Fluor Daniel, one of the world's strongest engineering and construction firms. The company currently employs more than 2000 people in Greenville and its surrounding areas.
- We've got the whole world in our hands! Well, not the whole world and it's not in our hands but a lot of world-wide companies conduct business in this part of SC! More than 240 international firms have located here, including Michelin and Hitachi. BMW also maintains its only North American auto assembly plant in Greenville. Frontrunners in the overseas game are Germany, Britain, Switzerland, and Japan, who have invested the most foreign capital in the area.
- When it comes to higher education, Greenville has much to offer: Furman University, a private, liberal arts college, boasts a nationwide reputation, while Greenville Technical College specializes in hands-on training for technical careers and features a university transfer program. Bob Jones University is a Christian-oriented facility that attracts students from all over the country and the world, and Clemson University stands out among the many other institutions that lie in Greenville's general vicinity.
- Performing arts are alive and well in Greenville. The Peace Center for the Performing Arts sits on Main Street along the Reedy River and is the region's largest venue for top international artists. Home of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Peace Center also hosts Broadway productions and other world-class entertainments.
- The Bi-Lo Center provides the Upstate with quality entertainment and sporting attractions. The $63 million state-of-the-art complex encloses 298,000 square feet of space and seats up to 15,000 spectators for sporting events and 17,000 for concerts making it the largest facility of its kind in the state. The Bi-Lo Center is also home to the new South Carolina Force arena football team, which debuted in the Upstate in 2009. More than 140 events are planned each year, including world-class concerts and family-friendly shows.
- Former Chicago White Sox outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (best known for his alleged involvement in a scandal with the "Black Sox") began his baseball career in Greenville. In the Brandon Mill area, the Greenville County Recreation District developed a memorial park on the site where Jackson played in the city's early textile leagues.
- Bob Jones' University Museum and Gallery features one of America's largest and finest collections of Baroque and religious art. The gallery houses European sacred art from the 13th through 19th centuries and includes important works from such major artists as Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Tintoretto. Check out the requirements before embarking on a tour: Modest dress is required, and children under six are not permitted.
- S.A.I.L.ing, anyone? Greenville is home to the East Coast's largest membership amateur swimming organization Swim Association Invitational League (S.A.I.L.). More than 2,500 young people, aged 6 to 18, comprise more than 35 teams and receive training in team and individual skills. Competitive meets are held during June and July.
- Hooray for Hollywild! Home to more than 500 exotic and native animals, Hollywild is a park you won't soon forget! Take advantage of safari rides that travel over lands where herds of animals roam. Included in the admission cost is an entire loaf of bread for you to feed the animals. Be careful, though: We bet you've never been this close to a camel! Open March to October, with special Holiday-themed events every December.
- A little bit of heaven in the heart of downtown! Falls Park on the Reedy is a landscaped tribute to the river that nourished Greenville's beginnings. Offering scenic overlooks, nature trails, a pond, a spectacular suspension bridge, garden areas, and waterfalls, the park provides an oasis for anyone who needs a little rest and relaxation.
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