In order to address issues facing the Charleston, South Carolina military industrial complex, the Charleston Defense Contractors Association, or CDCA, was formed and incorporated as a South Carolina Corporation on 4 December 2002. CDCA’s beginning was based on a grassroots formation called the “Technology Leadership Forum”, an offshoot committee of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications Electronic Associations (AFCEA) that first met on 6 September 2001. The Technology Leadership Forum consisted of 40 business and government officials who were interested in raising local awareness of the industry cluster and also in establishing the defense contracting companies as a viable entity within the Charleston business community. On November 7, 2002, CDCA held its first General Meeting and an interim Board of Directors and Officers were elected. On December 4, 2002, CDCA received a Certificate of Incorporation as a Nonprofit Corporation in the State of South Carolina. CDCA received its 501(C)(6), business league organization, tax exempt status on 11 April 2003.
The general purpose of the CDCA is to address issues and opportunities facing the Charleston, South Carolina defense community. Specifically, the CDCA will: (1) perform as an advocacy group for the defense industry in the Charleston metro area and other surrounding regions, (2) provide liaison with local, state, and federal governmental agencies, elected officials, legislatures, and special groups and committees, (3) take actions to develop or improve the local defense community’s ability to develop, attract, retain, and more effectively execute business opportunities, and (4) to foster the increased and improved interaction between defense contractors for accomplishment of better services to defense customers.