Gov. Nathan Deal's secretive overseas mission in January caused quite a bit of panic in South Carolina.
At the time, the two states were locked in a brutal fight over a $500 million Volvo plant. Deal's office wouldn't comment on his whereabouts, aside to say he was on an economic development mission. (He was in England to court Jaguar Land Rover executives).
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley told the Charleston Post & Courier that "every state likes to think they have ears on the ground in the other state," but that she got freaked out when she learned of Deal's journey.
Haley remembers the weekend in January when Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal left the country without telling the public where he was going or why. Haley initially thought Deal was in Sweden, making a closing pitch to Volvo. …
Haley's concerns proved to be unfounded — Volvo announced May 11 that it will build its $500 million car factory in Berkeley County — although she said she still keeps tabs on her neighboring counterpart.
"Wherever he goes, I have to make sure I know where he's going and what he's doing and make sure that we've already talked to them before he gets there," she said.
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