Ambinakudige, Parisi & Grice (2012) state that by the end of the 20th century, the South had transitioned into the fastest growing region in the country. Many regions within offer a pleasant and prosperous environment where people come to live and work (Frey 2004). From an economic perspective, the South is a major destination for many high-tech and well-compensating jobs in the manufacturing and the service industries (Kalafsky 2006; Gong and Wheeler 2007; Platzer and Harrison 2009). Despite the recent decline of manufacturing jobs in the country, especially low-skilled jobs, manufacturing remains a key component of the economy in the South, particularly in rural areas (McGranahan 1999). As this region of the United States evolves so do the opportunities to evaluate its progress.
