Nov. 9--After nine months of intense negotiations to land BMW in the Upstate, Carter Smith literally jumped for joy when the German automaker decided to park its $400 million plant in Spartanburg County in 1992.

"I was thrilled to death," said Smith, executive vice president of the Economic Futures Group with Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

"It was a significant economic development announcement that was picked up around the world," Smith said. "It put Spartanburg on the global stage with a high-profile company that consumers and the general public are aware of. We were happy they chose us, and we have reaped the benefit ever since."

BMW's announcement buoyed spirits for a state and nation emerging from a recession, Smith remembered.

"It was just a major boost to the area," he said.

That same bounce in attitudes is now evident 200 miles southeast of Spartanburg County as a world-recognized heavyweight in the aerospace industry put North Charleston on the map with an equally important announcement 12 days ago.

When Boeing Co. announced Oct. 28 it would build its second 787 Dreamliner assembly factory in North Charleston, the shift in mood across the Lowcountry became palpable.

"You feel that internal sense of excitement," said Patty Scarafile, chief executive of Carolina One Real Estate, the area's largest home sales agency. "It's huge. It changes the mind-set of the community. It's the buzz in conversation for those of us in real estate, and for the general public it's quite an uplifting announcement."

Belinda Purcell of Mount Pleasant senses the change as well.

"It's probably the best news economically that this area has gotten in a while," said Purcell, a part-time College of Charleston professor whose husband works in commercial construction and has been commuting to Charlotte for work for the past 16 months.

"I'd like to bring him home," she said, hoping Boeing's announcement would provide a job for her husband. "I'm not naive in knowing that there are a lot of other people out there looking for the same thing."

Big prize

Boeing is the single biggest industrial prize out of the gate in the state's history, promising 3,800 direct jobs and a $750 million investment over the next seven years.

Its comparisons to BMW, which has swelled its initial investment to $4.2 billion, including a $750 million expansion that's set to be completed next year, can't be overlooked.