Made in America: The South Carolina solution

The sun rises over the Port of Charleston and with it, the start of another day where a new symbol of Made in America buzzes with activity.

Workers are preparing to load another cargo ship of BMW (BMW-DE) vehicles, built at the German automaker's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

While Michigan is still the heartbeat of America's auto industry, South Carolina is one of several southern states that have become a greater focal point for automakers scouting out locations for new plants.

"We really focus on foreign investment, on adding new jobs to our country [and] not just our state," South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley told CNBC.

"We have worked really hard on making sure we are just stable for the companies as they go forward and as they grow, we grow with them," Haley said. "If they are successful, we are successful. And South Carolina doesn't like to lose."

Lately, South Carolina has been winning the battle to grow its manufacturing base by attracting and expanding two industries with some of the highest-paying blue-collar jobs: autos and aerospace.

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The state is home to more than 250 automotive manufacturing plants, suppliers and other companies. As for aerospace, look no further than Charleston—one of the fastest-growing midsize metropolitan areas for aircraft manufacturing, and the site of Boeing (BA)'s final assembly plant that builds 787 Dreamliners.

The company first started investing in the area in 2008, and its facility now employs more than 7,500 workers; but more importantly, it's become a magnet for scores of aerospace suppliers like UEC Electronics.

With 175 employees in Hanahan, a city just outside Charleston, UEC supplies electrical components for Boeing and other aerospace companies in the area. Lately, CEO Mark Matthews has seen his order book expand as Boeing has ramped up production of the Dreamliner.