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Brian Fulk sees a lot of potential for Lancaster County and is looking forward to building on the considerable success the county already has seen in recent years as one of the fastest-growing areas in South Carolina.

Fulk took the reins as the county’s Economic Development Director in October, bringing with him more than three decades of international and domestic trade and business development experience. He’s relocated from Richmond, where he was principal consultant for The Fulk Group, specializing in economic development and trade finance advising.

He also had been senior vice president for business development with the Greater Richmond Partnership. Before that, he spent more than 30 years with Wells Fargo and Wachovia Bank in trade financing and business development roles in England, Brazil, and Switzerland.  

Here Fulk shares his ideas and vision for Lancaster County:

Q. What made the Lancaster County Economic Development Director role an attractive opportunity for you?

Brian Fulk: My career plan was always to find an economic development leadership opportunity, preferably in a largely rural location, in order to give back to the community. Lancaster County offered the perfect opportunity. The county has so many things going for it and has already found success in attracting new corporations to the area.

Q. You have extensive international finance and trade experience as well as economic development experience in Virginia. How will that help you in your new role with Lancaster County?

Brian Fulk: I plan to use my international prospecting experience and worldwide contacts to elevate Lancaster County on the world stage as a great place to locate a new manufacturing facility or office. For example, while demand for new headquarters buildings may not be as strong in the U.S. today versus five years ago (given the work-from-home phenomenon), many overseas corporations are still likely to want a central U.S. headquarters operation with employees located on-site.

Q. What are your immediate and long-term goals for Lancaster County?

Brian Fulk: My immediate goal is to meet with all of our stakeholders and listen carefully to understand the desires and concerns of the community. Longer term, I hope to work with community leaders, the region, and with the South Carolina Department of Commerce to bring Lancaster a number of right-fitting companies to offer new and interesting employment opportunities, as well as to build a solid and diverse tax base for the county.

What is your vision for Lancaster County and what can you and your department do to fulfill that vision?

Brian Fulk:  I would like to see Lancaster known worldwide as a pro-business and welcoming area for new companies, and for companies already here looking to expand. I want to do my part to improve the economic livelihood of all citizens. Good-paying jobs are key to achieving this. Ideally, I would like to see Lancaster known as an innovation hub, helping to support new technologies.

My vision also includes, importantly, providing access to various resources for start-up companies, entrepreneurs, and those wishing to export their products abroad. We want to do our part to keep and attract talented individuals by helping to provide the resources, to include working space, they need.

Q. What are the county’s strengths right now in terms of attractiveness to new and expanding industries?

Brian Fulk: Lancaster County is fortunate to have several successful industry clusters. These will continue to expand and create job opportunities in future years. Healthcare and Biomedical, Finance and Professional Services, Advanced Manufacturing (including Metalworking, Textiles and Advanced Fibers), Mining and Agricultural Solutions are thriving here now.

We’re also well-positioned to attract new industries. For example, we have seen recent interest from the Electric (or alternative energy) Vehicle space, especially those supplying the larger OEM manufacturers.

Here is a list of some of Lancaster County’s strengths as I see them today.

1. First, its citizens. Lancaster is a welcoming community and almost everyone I have met shares a vision to see the county prosper and grow in a balanced way without overtaxing our infrastructure. Having nearly 100,000 county residents of all ages promoting Lancaster as a good place to live, learn, work and play is a nice, large salesforce to have.
2. Highway and air service. Lancaster County is located close to major interstate highways. A company located and producing here can reach over 45% of the U.S. population within a day’s truck drive. Lancaster County also has superior air service with the local executive airfield (and nearby Air-Rail Park) and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport less than an hour away. 
3. Rail access. For those importing or exporting, rail access is often essential. Lancaster provides access to two major service providers, CSX and Norfolk Southern.
4. Workforce and training. Unlike many rural areas, Lancaster County can easily draw employees from the Charlotte area. We have access to a talented workforce. I’ve met with local educators who are very willing to help with specialized training for new companies coming here. Of course, we’re also fortunate to have some successful existing workforce programs and supporters, including readySC™.
5. Land prices and leasing costs. Those two key factors are lower here than in many areas of the country and this will continue to keep us on the radar for companies looking for a new location.
6. High quality of life. Lancaster County offers access to a vast array of cultural and sports activities, and to many great eating establishments. One can golf, play tennis, ride a bike, ride a horse, or walk on a trail. Add to this some of the state’s top schools, and you have a great place to live, learn, work, and play.

Q. What do you see as the greatest economic development opportunities for the county and how do you foresee you and your department leveraging those opportunities?

Brian Fulk: There’s always room to improve. For example, I would like to see us enhance our tourism/visitor activities. We have a lot to offer in the area and we need to broadcast this fact. We have the largest commercial gold mine on the East Coast. There is soon to be a state-of-the-art whitewater center going in nearby on the Catawba River.

Also, the City of Lancaster has enormous potential as a destination. We may be lacking some basics now, but these will come as our collective visions are realized. I can imagine a day when people drive from outside the state to stay at a nice hotel, eat a world-class meal on Main Street or nearby, and stroll the downtown area for shopping and cultural entertainment. This will happen … I just want to do my part to help speed up the process.

As for our greatest challenge, we need to determine as a community how we want to grow in the future. We need to have the infrastructure for this growth. This includes adequate water and sewer capacity, as well as roads able to handle increasing traffic. It also includes having schools with space available for new students.

From my perspective, we also need more “on-site” utilities at our several industrial parks to accommodate the industrial growth we expect to attract. Supply chain and other issues now require as much as 24 months or more to bring services to our sites.

Q. How does participation in the S.C. I-77 Alliance bolster your economic development efforts and what does Lancaster County’s participation add to the whole?

Brian Fulk: Lancaster County is a member and financial supporter of both the S.C. I-77 Alliance and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. These organizations help by marketing the region through various means, to include the organization of prospecting trips. We are stronger together, and I believe a win for one county or city is eventually a win for all. 

As the saying goes, we live in interesting times. While change is a constant, the kind of change certainly is not. The unique mix of rising interest rates and inflation, supply change disruption, and pandemic recovery creates unprecedented challenges for private and public stakeholders alike in the realm of economic recruitment and development.

Yet where lies challenges opportunity emerges, and those who respond quickly with smart strategies will lay the groundwork for long-term success for those companies and communities that are relying on them to create a prosperous future.

Of course, no company or county is an island, and collaboration among private and public players has been and continues to be a critical part of success in this arena. So is data, the kind that helps inform both those communicating the attributes of a community and those who need to understand the potential the community offers their expanding or relocating enterprises.

The South Carolina I-77 Alliance offers the mix of analytics and people needed to help attract capital investment and high-quality manufacturing, distribution, and office jobs to the five-county corridor between Charlotte and Columbia.

A Staff of Two, A Team of Dozens

Together, we’re executing a multi-faceted strategy to elevate the corridor’s visibility and reputation as a premier place to do business. This year, that includes growing our Alliance-sourced and external leads by 15% and 10% respectively while simultaneously growing online engagement and interaction by 10%.

Site-selection consultant visits also are a priority, and we keep our Economic Data Center – a dynamic database of key demographic and site availability information – as current as possible. Importantly, too, we’ll continue to build on incorporating the experience and commitment of our region’s business community into the recruitment effort.

A Whole Greater Than Its Parts

York, Lancaster, Chester, Fairfield, and Richland counties already are enjoying an impressive run of new projects and expansions by international and domestic firms alike, companies from across the industrial spectrum who recognize the area’s ideal mix of location, logistics, workforce, and living options from urban to suburban to rural.

We encourage you to consider joining the effort. The Alliance offers four levels of direct investor opportunity, with a list of benefits that grows with the financial commitment. Your participation helps ensure that rather than duplicating marketing efforts, we build on a synergy – a whole greater than its parts – that already has produced notable progress and the expectation of much more in the years ahead.

Check out our 2021-2022 annual plan here. Contact us to find out more about investing in the Alliance and the economic future of South Carolina’s I-77 Corridor. Together we can leverage those opportunities as together we invest locally and compete globally.

What a difference a decade can make. When the Great Recession hit, Lancaster County was already reeling from the loss of Springs Industries and its thousands of textile jobs that had sustained generations of local families.

Unemployment skyrocketed and income levels dropped to among the lowest in the state. “We had become a poster child for what can happen to communities overly dependent on one industry or employer,” says county Economic Development Director Jamie Gilbert. “Lancaster County was so distressed that Forbes called us ‘the most vulnerable community in America.’”

A decade later, Lancaster County is enjoying an economic boom that has seen its economy diversify across multiple industries while also becoming one of the premier office markets in the booming Charlotte region.

Gilbert says that boom began when county leaders began actively leveraging their ideal location — a mix of rural, small town and suburban — to aggressively recruit corporate offices to the northern end of the county, comprising the Fort Mill and Indian Land communities just south of Charlotte.

Digital marketing leader Red Ventures, Sharonview Federal Credit Union and Continental Tire of the Americas paved the way in 2010, followed soon by other corporate brand names such as CompuCom, Honeywell, Movement Mortgage and ServiceMac.

White- and Blue-Collar Growth

There now are more than 6,400 employees in the professional & business service sectors in Lancaster County, primarily clustered in the county’s northern panhandle, a number expected to grow by 50 percent over the next several years. That white-collar explosion is occurring alongside the renaissance of goods-producing sectors in the county, a cluster of industries that has nearly doubled employment since cratering in 2010, now employing almost 4,700 people in Lancaster County.

“Lancaster County’s heart and soul has always been manufacturing and since 2010 we’ve attracted a number of new firms that have played a major role in reshaping our economy,” Gilbert says. They range from animal health products maker Nutramax Laboratories to Fab Fours, a maker of premium bumpers and truck accessories. Textiles also remain a player, including Keer America, a spinning mill that plays a key role in the cotton yarn supply chain. In the southern end of the county, there’s even a new gold mine, operated by OceanaGold.

The numbers also tell the story. Since 2012, Lancaster County has facilitated 59 new and expanding industrial projects that represent a $1.52 billion investment and nearly 11,200 expected jobs. In the past year alone, the county ranked first in the Palmetto State for new jobs, sixth for announced new investments (excluding solar farms), and second for announced new jobs and investment combined.

“Per capita income is now third-highest in the state and we’ve moved from being a tier four county to tier two. Smart Asset has just ranked us as the third-best county in South Carolina for new investment,” Gilbert says. “To call it remarkable is an understatement.”

More People, Places, Possibilities

Commercial, retail and residential growth has accompanied that manufacturing and office expansion. The county’s population was 76,972 in 2010. It’s expected to surpass 100,000 in 2020. That makes Lancaster County the second-fastest growing county in the state (behind only Horry County/Myrtle Beach on the coast) and the 32^nd fastest in the country among counties with populations of more than 10,000.

“Our growth boom has brought new shopping centers, service businesses, restaurants, subdivisions and apartments that support the needs of our residents and businesses. This keeps spending local and generates additional tax revenue for our schools and county services,” Gilbert says.

The development of new areas and redevelopment of the town of Lancaster aims to attract both knowledge and trade workers, which are so crucial to companies facing a tight labor market and national competition for talented people who have a lot of options.

Along with smoothing the way for multiple infrastructure, industrial/office/commercial and residential lifestyle projects, county leaders are working closely with companies and local institutions of higher learning to close the loop on all that’s needed to ensure Lancaster County remains a compelling choice for those looking to choose a new home for their enterprise of the future.

Palmetto Corporation, a site development and construction company, today announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new operation in Fairfield County. The company’s $15.7 million investment will create 79 new jobs.

Palmetto Corporation’s new, state-of-the-art asphalt plant located at 5471 State Highway 34 E. in Ridgeway will be the company’s seventh in South Carolina.

• Founded in 1987, Palmetto Corporation is a family-owned company that delivers the materials, services and solutions needed for paving and site development.
• The company has over 1,000 employees at its six, existing South Carolina plants in Bishopville, Conway, Florence, Greer, Lugoff and Orangeburg.
• The new Fairfield County plant will produce asphalt for road construction, resurfacing and infrastructure development.
• Operations are expected to be online in January 2025.
• Individuals interested in joining the Palmetto Corporation team should visit the company’s careers page.

QUOTES

Schneider Electric, a leader in energy management and automation, today announced it is expanding operations in Oconee and Richland counties. The company’s combined investment of $23.8 million will create 280 new jobs throughout 2024. Schneider Electric is a global industrial technology leader, producing energy efficient and sustainability solutions for customers in 150 countries. A consortium member of The South Carolina Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy (SC NEXUS), Schneider Electric is committed to supporting advanced energy generation, transmission, distribution and storage in South Carolina and advancing the clean energy transition nationwide.

The company’s Oconee County engineer-to-order facility, located at 1990 Sandifer Blvd. in Seneca, manufactures low-voltage motor control centers, panelboard box and trim, and lighting and PowerLink panelboards. The investment will include HVAC electrification and create 130 new jobs.

In Richland County, Schneider Electric will invest in its engineer-to-order facility, located at 8821 Garners Ferry Road in Hopkins, and add 150 new jobs. This operation manufactures NW breakers, low-voltage switchgear and switchboards.

Hiring for both facilities will take place throughout 2024. Individuals interested in joining the Schneider Electric team should visit the company’s Seneca careers page for Oconee County opportunities or the Columbia careers page for Richland County opportunities.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to both projects.

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Successful economic development is multifaceted, requiring the alignment of various public and private interests. Successful alignment requires a team of players with specialized skills and critical resources for turning large industrial and commercial prospects into reality.

These players include utilities, railway companies, state and local officials, engineers, real estate and other professionals, and tying these all together: attorneys experienced in guiding these entities through dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s in these complex endeavors.

The I-77 Corridor itself significantly benefits from such experienced counsel in these matters, and so does the SC I-77 Alliance, which counts among its investors such prestigious partners as Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Columbia.

Edward Kluiters is co-chair of the Economic Development Practice Group at Nelson Mullins and for more than 30 years has worked closely with state and local economic development authorities and governments in advising businesses and industries on economic development incentives, real estate acquisition, leasing, and financing. His clients include a diverse collection of major companies such as Continental Tire, E.& J. Gallo, Mark Anthony Brewing, Roseburg Forest Products, and BOMAG.

Kluiters also regularly represents lenders and borrowers in financing transactions and other real estate matters, and he generously shares his extensive experience and strategic vision as a valued member of the Alliance Board of Directors.

His work has given him an appreciation for both the work of the Alliance and the value of his firm’s investment in the five-county economic development marketing coalition. He points to the organization’s efficient, low-overhead operation and specific focus on data-informed marketing as two of the value-adds for Alliance investors.

“The I-77 Alliance does not duplicate services; it is complementary to the economic development efforts of each of the counties in the area,” Kluiters says.

He also highlights the Alliance’s role in trade missions, shows, and other networking aimed at enhancing the region’s exposure to national and international businesses, resulting in more companies locating in the area and providing new economic opportunities for residents and businesses alike.

“By working together, investors in the Alliance create new economic opportunities that far exceed what they could achieve independently. The Alliance’s aggressive marketing and branding campaign is made possible by its member county governments and private sector investors, and we’re pleased to be a part of it,” he says.

Kluiters also sees a bright future, pointing to I-77 Corridor strengths such as available sites and buildings, a business-friendly regulatory and labor environment, urban populations and rural settings, and robust transportation infrastructure as supports for the region’s continued strong growth.

Meanwhile, Nelson Mullins’ support for the South Carolina I-77 Alliance, as exemplified by Edward Kluiters’ leadership and involvement, underscores the firm’s commitment to its own role in fostering economic growth.

By committing their expertise and resources, Nelson Mullins and the other investors in the I-77 Alliance are helping to continue accelerating economic expansion that will ensure a prosperous future for the Corridor and its communities large and small.

Princeton NuEnergy (PNE), an innovative clean technology company, today announced it selects Chester County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation. The $11 million investment will create 41 new jobs.

PNE’s 25,000-square-foot facility, located at 564 Ecology Lane in Chester, will recycle lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles (EVs) and manufacturing scrap to produce advanced blackmass and rejuvenated cathode active material.

• Founded out of Princeton University in 2019, PNE recycles lithium-ion batteries from EVs, consumer electronics, energy storage batteries and manufacturing scrap.
• The company’s patented direct recycling technology enables high-quality battery materials to be produced at a lower cost and environmental impact than traditional recycling processes.
• Operations are expected to be online in the third quarter of 2024.
• Individuals interested in joining the PNE team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project. The council also awarded a $500,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Chester County.

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McEntire Produce, a full-service fresh produce supplier, today announced the continued development of its state-of-the-art facility in Richland County. The company’s $26.2 million investment will create 40 new jobs.

The company will upfit its existing facility located at 2040 American Italian Way in Columbia with automation advancements that will improve production capacity.

• Operating in Richland County since 1938, McEntire Produce is a family-owned fresh produce processor, repacker and wholesaler.
• The company also handles the general processing of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and coleslaw mix for numerous fast-food restaurants.
• Operations will be phased in over five years.
• Individuals interested in joining the McEntire Produce team should visit the company’s careers page.

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Economic development is a complex endeavor that requires successfully aligning the interests and requirements of multiple public and private stakeholders. It can be a dizzying dance, and the steady hand of experienced legal counsel is vital to the process.

Sam Moses, a Partner with the Columbia office of Charlotte-based Parker Poe, is such a hand. After a decade of working in Columbia and Germany for the S.C. Department of Commerce, Moses joined Parker Poe in 2007. Since then, he has been deeply involved in such major projects in the I-77 Corridor including one involving the conversion of the old Mack Truck plant in Fairfield County to a mattress factory operated by international manufacturer Healthcare Co. Ltd.

That’s just two from an extensive, growing, and diverse list of engagements for his firm’s Business Expansion and Location Solutions team. “The vast majority of our team’s work involves corporate economic development, representing manufacturing businesses, large and small, with their expansions,” Moses said. “We help them nationwide with site evaluation and selection, incentives and real estate negotiations, and all legal aspects to get such projects done.”

Parker Poe is representing industrial and commercial developers as well as local governments in economic development matters as well, including structuring incentive packages and coordinating bond and other financing transactions to fund critical infrastructure improvements in the I-77 Corridor. Parker Poe, for instance, has a lead economic development counsel for Richland County, where Volkswagen’s Scout Motors is building a $2 billion electric vehicle assembly plant.

Parker Poe also is one of the few law firms in the country that has an affiliated site selection company with consultants who provide national site selection and incentives negotiation services.  The consultants team together with the attorneys in the law firm to provide a comprehensive suite of legal and law related business services to industrial developers and companies to right location and site for expansion or relocation.

The team supports projects nationwide with a primary focus on the Carolinas and Georgia. That combination of legal and on-the-ground business development expertise also helps fuel the firm’s support for the S.C. I-77 Alliance as an investing partner.

Alliance Engagement is a Natural Fit

Moses says his association with the I-77 Alliance is a natural fit to Parker Poe’s commitment to supporting and engaging with the primary economic development organizations in the communities and markets where his firm’s clients work and live.

“There are so many disciplines involved in the process, from real estate to permitting to infrastructure development and workforce and just a lot more,” Moses said. “The Alliance helps bring together the public and private sectors, all those local resources and skill sets to match a company’s needs.”

It’s also good for business. “The Alliance is a great networking platform for all of us locally to share and information and our individual capabilities to better engage companies unfamiliar with the region, and for companies already here that may not be aware of all that’s available to them,” Moses said.

That includes the Alliance’s strategic planning, workforce assessment, and research services, and its data platforms that provide vital information that helps attract new corporate investment to the five-county corridor.

Moses concluded that engaging with the Alliance “a critical way we can all contribute to creating jobs, growing tax revenue, and helping our region continue to grow and prosper.”

Investor Spotlight is a series that focuses on investors in the S.C. I-77 Alliance, organizations that include the range of stakeholders, including utilities, law firms, educational institutions, developers, and more. For more information, contact us here.

Capital Concrete Co., a construction materials supplier, today announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new operation in Fairfield County. The company’s $8.25 million investment will create 17 new jobs.

Founded in 2006, Capital Concrete Co. has four, existing South Carolina locations providing ready-mix concrete products for all project types. The new plant, located at 355 Commerce Blvd. in Ridgeway, will be the company’s fifth location, giving it closer proximity to serve customers in Fairfield County.

Operations will be online in the third quarter of 2024. Individuals interested in joining the Capital Concrete Co. team should visit the company’s careers page.

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About S.C. Department of Commerce

As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow. S.C. Commerce has recruited world-class companies to South Carolina such as BMW, Boeing, Continental, Giti Tire, LPL Financial Holdings, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Samsung, Toray and Volvo Cars and also supports startups, small and existing business, innovation and rural development initiatives. S.C. Commerce partners with the S.C. Technical College System via readySC to support workforce training and recruiting, and with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, which provides worker training and employment opportunities within the state. With a strong international footprint, the Palmetto State has consistently been among the top in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign direct investment on a per capita basis – recognized by multiple economic development publications for its pro-business climate. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Coakley
Director of Marketing and Communications
South Carolina Department of Commerce
(803) 737-1998
kcoakley@sccommerce.com
www.SCcommerce.com

The South Carolina Department of Commerce (S.C. Commerce) today released its 2023 industry recruitment results which reflect sustained economic activity. From January to December 2023, the state announced total capital investment of $9.22 billion, the second largest amount in state history. That investment represents 81 projects and 14,120 announced jobs.

“Once again, South Carolina has proven that it is among the best places in the world to do business,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “Over the past year, our state proactively prioritized trends and topics that are crucial to maintaining a vibrant and competitive economy. Recording the second-highest year for industry recruitment in state history not only confirms the sustained interest for doing business here, but also signals to the global business community that South Carolina is a trusted partner for successful businesses.”

The announced capital investment of $9.22 billion includes major investments in the state’s two leading industry sectors by total investment, Automotive, Electric Vehicles (EV) and EV Batteries with $4.3 billion investment, and Alternative Energy and Fuels with $1.56 billion investment. Notably, in 2023, there were three announcements with investments of $1 billion or more — the highest such year in state history:

Scout Motors
Albemarle Corporation
QTS Data Centers

The previous record, of two projects with an investment of $1 billion or more in a single year, was set in 2014 and tied again in 2022.

“After a record-breaking 2022, South Carolina has remained committed to ensuring its long-term economic competitiveness and growing reputation as an established destination for transformational industry,” said Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III. “Back-to-back years of strong industry recruitment reinforces South Carolina’s commitment to the success of our existing and new businesses, alike.”

To access the complete recruitment report, click here. For more details on the state’s announced economic activity, visit S.C. Commerce’s newsroom.

About S.C. Department of Commerce

As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow. S.C. Commerce has recruited world-class companies to South Carolina such as BMW, Boeing, Continental, Giti Tire, LPL Financial Holdings, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Samsung, Toray and Volvo Cars and also supports startups, small and existing business, innovation and rural development initiatives. S.C. Commerce partners with the S.C. Technical College System via readySC to support workforce training and recruiting, and with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, which provides worker training and employment opportunities within the state. With a strong international footprint, the Palmetto State has consistently been among the top in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign direct investment on a per capita basis – recognized by multiple economic development publications for its pro-business climate. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Coakley
Director of Marketing and Communications
South Carolina Department of Commerce
(803) 737-1998
kcoakley@sccommerce.com
www.SCcommerce.com

OneH2, a leader in sustainable hydrogen solutions, today announced it is expanding its U.S. footprint by establishing the company’s first South Carolina operation in York County. The $16 million investment will create 87 new jobs by 2026.

Created in 2015 and headquartered in Longview, North Carolina, OneH2 designs and manufactures innovative products ranging from hydrogen production plants and distribution equipment to vehicle powertrains and fuel systems. Its products provide the North American industrial vehicles market with cost-effective power solutions.

With a presence in California, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina, the company aims to establish a nationwide hydrogen infrastructure network that will make transitioning to hydrogen fuel easier and more economical for business owners and industrial operations.

OneH2 purchased a 246,091-square-foot building located at 6199 Highway 57 in Clover. The company will use this facility for warehousing and to manufacture hydrogen fuel equipment.

Operations will be online in stages, starting in the first quarter of 2024 with the initial workforce. The final stage will be completed in 2025 with the full workforce. Individuals interested in joining the OneH2 team should visit the company’s careers page.

QUOTES

About S.C. Department of Commerce

As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow. S.C. Commerce has recruited world-class companies to South Carolina such as BMW, Boeing, Continental, Giti Tire, LPL Financial Holdings, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Samsung, Toray and Volvo Cars and also supports startups, small and existing business, innovation and rural development initiatives. S.C. Commerce partners with the S.C. Technical College System via readySC to support workforce training and recruiting, and with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, which provides worker training and employment opportunities within the state. With a strong international footprint, the Palmetto State has consistently been among the top in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign direct investment on a per capita basis – recognized by multiple economic development publications for its pro-business climate. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Coakley
Director of Marketing and Communications
South Carolina Department of Commerce
(803) 737-1998
kcoakley@sccommerce.com
www.SCcommerce.com

TMC Transportation one of the trucking industry’s premier flatbed carriers, today announced it is growing the company’s Southeast presence with the expansion of its regional headquarters in Richland County. The $38 million investment will create 185 new jobs.

Employee-owned TMC Transportation has more than 50 years of experience in the trucking industry and a 25-year history in South Carolina. The company is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and has a network of terminals and service centers throughout the U.S.

TMC Transportation will consolidate the three facilities it is leasing in central South Carolina into a single 44-acre campus located at 2716 Shop Road in Columbia. The company will build a 36,000-square-foot operations and logistics office, and a 66,000-square-foot maintenance facility next to its existing driver training center.

Operations will be online at the new campus in May 2025. Individuals interested in joining the TMC Transportation team should visit the company’s careers page.

QUOTES

About S.C. Department of Commerce

As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow. S.C. Commerce has recruited world-class companies to South Carolina such as BMW, Boeing, Continental, Giti Tire, LPL Financial Holdings, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Samsung, Toray and Volvo Cars and also supports startups, small and existing business, innovation and rural development initiatives. S.C. Commerce partners with the S.C. Technical College System via readySC to support workforce training and recruiting, and with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, which provides worker training and employment opportunities within the state. With a strong international footprint, the Palmetto State has consistently been among the top in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign direct investment on a per capita basis – recognized by multiple economic development publications for its pro-business climate. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Coakley
Director of Marketing and Communications
South Carolina Department of Commerce
(803) 737-1998
kcoakley@sccommerce.com
www.SCcommerce.com