[May 30, 2019] – Berkeley County was pleased to welcome Absolute Haitian to their new plant in Moncks Corner today at the grand opening ceremony.
The 116,000-square-foot facility is located in Mount Holly Commerce Park, right off Highway 52.
Absolute Haitian manufactures plastic injection molding machinery. The company broke ground on the facility in January 2018. The company invested $14 million and will create 50 new jobs.
The facility is designed to provide additional capacity and capabilities to support Haitian International’s product lines for injection molders in the U.S. and Canada. The company already has existing facilities for the U.S. and Canada in Worcester, Mass.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Batavia, Ill.; plus, warehousing in southern California.
In a statement, Absolute Haitian said that approximately 100,000 square feet of the new Moncks Corner facility is dedicated to manufacturing, warehouse, and demonstration space with the capacity to assemble and test large tonnage machines and store stock machines and aftermarket parts. “High ceilings accommodate large tonnage presses even when equipped with top entry automation,” the company said. “Three overhead cranes including one 50-ton crane, plus multi-level docks and reinforced concrete flooring facilitate the delivery and storage of large- tonnage machine assemblies. The facility’s drive-in dock enables flatbed trucks to move fully loaded onto the floor for more convenient unloading.” The facility also has 16,000 square feet of space for a training centre, applications engineering offices, and sales functions.
“Although other states along the eastern seaboard were considered, economic development officials in the state of South Carolina and regional economic development groups helped make the selection an easy one,” said Absolute Haitian co-owner Nate Smith. “The expansion of the automotive sector, presence of white goods manufacturing and fast regional growth in the southeast were major considerations. In fact, we’re located in the same industrial park as a $1.2 billion Google data center.”
“Most of the large tonnage machines sold in the U.S. are delivered to customers in the southeastern U.S., the upper Midwest states of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, and Canada, forming a large machine corridor,” said Glenn Frohring, co-owner of Absolute Haitian. “The deep-water port of Charleston allows us to connect easily to that corridor via nearby intermodal transportation options for fast delivery to the customer.”
Absolute Haitian is the exclusive sales and service partner of Chinese injection molding machine maker Haitian International. The company is represented in eastern Ontario by Larry Bonehill of Shadow Automation and in western Ontario by Steve Bell; and in Quebec by Barway Plastics Equipment.
[May 3, 2019] Atlantic Building Components was founded 35 years ago, in 1984, at its headquarters in Moncks Corner. The company Manufactures roof and floor trusses.
Now, they have three manufacturing plants across North and South Carolina, and they employ more than 250 people across those states.
It’s no surprise Berkeley County was thrilled to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the company’s expansion in Moncks Corner today, nestled in the Macedonia community.
Long time employees joined company leaders to cut the ribbon. They also ceremonially built the inaugural truss in their new building. Then, everyone signed the truss.
The company is located on Cane Gully Road, near Macedonia Middle School.
SCMA Honors Companies for Excellence in Corporate Responsibility
(April 26, 2019) – Today, at its statewide annual meeting in Charleston, the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance awarded 20 South Carolina manufacturing facilities with the its Corporate Responsibility Award for their accomplishments in 2018.
The Award honors South Carolina manufacturing facilities that positively impact their respective local communities. Applicants are judge in three categories: Community Involvement and Philanthropy, Environmental Stewardship, and Wellness and Safety.
“We created the Excellence in Corporate Responsibility Award to honor manufacturers for the incredible contributions they are making every day in South Carolina,” said Sara Hazzard, President & CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. “The companies who earn this award are held to very high standards and each have demonstrated that they have gone above and beyond in empowering their teams to be a catalyst for change that better their operations, community, and the state of South Carolina. We are proud to honor so many South Carolina facilities for their commitment to excellence in corporate responsibility.”
Photos of the award recipients are available upon request.
Award Winners:
• AFL – Duncan , SC
• BMW – Greer, SC
• Caterpillar – Sumter, SC
• Highland – Cheraw, SC
• Ingevity – North Charleston, SC
• International Paper – Eastover, SC
• Michelin North America – Greenville, SC
• Nucor Steel- Berkeley – Huger, SC
• Sage Automotive Abbeville Plant – Abbeville, SC
• Sage Automotive Cotton Blossom – Spartanburg, SC
• Sage Automotive Gayley – Greenville, SC
• Sage Automotive Sharon – Abbeville, SC
• Sonoco – Hartsville, SC
• Springs Creative – Rock Hill, SC
Berkeley County Economic Development and SC Works Trident Host a Community Job Fair at Trident Technical College Berkeley Campus
[April 25, 2019] – Berkeley County Economic Development and SC Works Trident will be hosting a Community Job Fair on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The event will be held at Trident Technical College, Berkeley Campus located at 1001 S Live Oak Dr, Moncks Corner from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm. Employers from various fields throughout the Tri-County area will be on-site to meet potential employees.
Career Seekers
Come Prepared – Please bring copies of your resume and come prepared for an interview. Computers will be available for you to immediately apply online. There will also be a number of community organizations present so you can learn more about the available resources for workforce development and how to enroll for training that equal employment opportunities including the new ManuFirstSC certificate.
Employers
Please Register – There is no fee to participate. Space is limited, however, and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tables and chairs will be provided. Please feel free to bring your company’s table cloth and other marketing materials.
Employers must be registered with SC Works and have active posted jobs on the SC Works website in order to participate. All jobs must be direct hires. We will contact you approximately one month following the event for feedback regarding those hired by your company.
If your company is interested and has positions available, please complete a Job Fair Participation Form and return it by email to scworkstrident@dew.sc.gov, no later than 2 pm, Friday, May 3, 2019.
We look forward to seeing you at the job fair!
Printer Friendly Flyer: Berkeley County Job Fair Event Flyer_general info
Berkeley County takes leading role in SC economic development report
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. [MONDAY, FEB 11, 2019] Berkeley County had three of South Carolina’s top economic development announcements in 2018, according to the state’s Commerce Department, which tallied nearly $4.2 billion in projects last year.
A $600 million expansion of search engine giant Google Inc.’s data center in Moncks Corner was the year’s biggest announcement in terms of value, according to the state agency charged with recruiting industry. The facility, one of only a handful of data centers the technology giant runs in the U.S. , is part of the backbone that keeps services like Gmail and Google Drive online.
J.W. Aluminum’s announcement of a $255 million expansion of its Goose Creek campus ranked fourth in value. The expansion, scheduled for completion in 2020, includes a new 220,000-square-foot building and state-of-the-art equipment to make flat-rolled aluminum for the construction and other industries.
“Additional planned investments will bring the total investment in Goose Creek to over $300 million and make our South Carolina facility one of the most technologically advanced continuous cast plants in the world,” said Stan Brant, the company’s chief operating officer.
W International, a welding and fabrication firm doing work for defense projects like a next-generation Navy submarine, finished No. 3 on the Commerce Department’s list for the year’s top job creation announcements. The company plans to hire 600 people at its Charleston International Manufacturing Center site near Goose Creek.
All told, the state’s new projects totaled 14,071 jobs. The top job creator was RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corp. which is bringing 1,100 jobs to a new corporate headquarters in York County.
This year’s recruitment list includes industries from the metal, automotive, plastics, chemicals and agribusiness industries as well as corporate office jobs.
“South Carolina continues to cultivate a diverse economy in all corners of our state,” said Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt. “This year’s industry recruitment results reflect that diversity and show that South Carolina has become a leading business destination for companies of all types.”
Since 2011, the year Hitt became Commerce Secretary, the agency has recruited $35,6 billion in capital investment by new or expanding businesses.
More than 60 percent of the jobs created last year were by new businesses while the rest were from expansions of existing businesses.
United States firms represented three-fourths of the investments by dollar value, followed by German companies at 5 percent and Chinese businesses at 4 percent.
Berkeley County was the only county to land at least three projects on the annual list. Spartanburg County had two announcements, including a Keurig coffee roasting and packaging facility that was the state’s second-biggest investment and fourth-largest job creator.
Reach David Wren at 843-937-5550 or on Twitter at @David_Wren_
Berkeley County Economic Development and SC Works Trident Host a Community Job Fair in Town of St. Stephen
[January 28, 2019] – Berkeley County Economic Development and SC Works Trident in partnership with the Town of St. Stephen and St. Stephen Elementary School will be hosting a Community Job Fair on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. The event will be held at St. Stephen Elementary, 1053 Russellville Road, Saint Stephen, SC from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Employers from various fields throughout the Tri-County area will be on-site to meet potential employees.
Career Seekers
Come Prepared – Please bring copies of your resume and come prepared for an interview. Computers will be available for you to immediately apply online. There will also be a number of community organizations present so you can learn more about the available resources for workforce development and how to enroll for training that equal employment opportunities including the new ManuFirstSC certificate.
Employers
Please Register – There is no fee to participate. Space is limited, however, and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tables and chairs will be provided. Please feel free to bring your company’s table cloth and other marketing materials.
Employers must be registered with SC Works and have active posted jobs on the SC Works website in order to participate. All jobs must be direct hires. We will contact you approximately one month following the event for feedback regarding those hired by your company.
If your company is interested and has positions available, please complete a Job Fair Participation Form and return it by email to scworkstrident@dew.sc.gov, no later than 2pm, Wednesday, February 13, 2019.
We look forward to seeing you at the job fair!
VTL Precision expanding Lowcountry presence
with new operations in Berkeley County
$8.2 million investment to house new business line in Goose Creek, S.C.
COLUMBIA, S.C. [January 3, 2019] – VTL Precision, a leading developer and manufacturer of precision-engineered engine, transmission and turbocharger components for the commercial vehicle and passenger car markets, is locating new operations in Berkeley County. The company’s $8.2 million investment is projected to create 10 new jobs.
VTL Precision is a venture of VTL Group, a privately-owned automotive and precision engineering company with manufacturing operations in Europe, India and North America. Specializing in the design, development and manufacture of high-specification, complex machined components, VTL Group supplies a variety of original equipment manufacturers and tier one suppliers.
The company’s new facility, located at the Crowfield Corporate Center at 5 Corporate Parkway, Goose Creek, S.C., will house a new business line to produce automotive components. The facility will complement VTL’s existing operations in Palmetto Commerce Park. Those interested in joining the VTL Precision team should visit the company’s careers page online.
QUOTES
“VTL is proud to call the Lowcountry our home. For more than 11 years, we have supported the automotive manufacturing industry in South Carolina and watched the region and industry flourish. Our expansion demonstrates VTL’s commitment to serving our global automotive customers from a South Carolina base. Our partners within the S.C. Department of Commerce and Berkeley County worked tirelessly to keep our expansion within the Lowcountry.” -VTL Group COO and Co-Founder Chris Elliott
“We’re always proud to congratulate a company that has decided to expand its footprint in our state. Today, we celebrate VTL’s latest investment in the Lowcountry and look forward to the continued growth of this partnership.” -Gov. Henry McMaster
“We are delighted to see manufacturing growth – the key to job and wealth creation in our state – continue in the Lowcountry. Today’s announcement by VTL Precision is another sign that our economic development efforts are paying off in South Carolina.” -Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt
“Goose Creek’s commitment to economic development has never been greater, and we welcome VTL’s thriving business to our city. As a global leader in its field, VTL provides Goose Creek with another important building block in our ability to live, work and play without leaving the city limits. VTL’s history shows they will be here for a long time. Along with our partners at Berkeley County and the state of South Carolina, we are ready to support them at every step.” -Mayor of Goose Creek Greg Habib
FIVE FAST FACTS
- VTL Precision is locating new operations in Berkeley County.
- $8.2 million investment to create 10 new jobs.
- VTL Precision is a leading developer and manufacturer of precision-engineered transmission and turbocharger components for the automotive industry.
- The company’s new facility will be located at the Crowfield Corporate Center in Goose Creek, S.C.
- For more information on the company, visit www.vtl-group.com.
Metal fabricator investing $35.2 million to support submarine industry
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. [TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2018] – W International, a full-service manufacturer of large, complex, welded metal fabrications, today announced plans to locate new production operations in Berkeley County. The company’s $35.2 million capital investment is projected to create more than 600 new jobs.
Headquartered in Madison Heights, Mich., W International serves the aerospace, defense, energy and marine industries. Within the defense sector, in addition to combat vehicles, the company supports U.S. Navy platforms, such as submarines, aircraft carriers and frigates. The company’s highly-trained staff also supports requirements associated with a diverse range of materials, including ballistic armor, aluminum, titanium and other high-strength steels.
Located at the Charleston International Manufacturing Center at Bushy Park, W International’s new, 451,000-square-foot facility will provide manufacturing, custom fabrication, project management, tooling and engineering services to clients in the aerospace, defense, automotive, energy and commercial business industries. Hiring for the new positions is projected to begin in January 2019, and interested applicants can visit the company’s careers page online. According to a press release with on the Company’s website, a second phase will begin soon which could provide more new job announcements in addition to the 600 new jobs already projected.
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits, as well as a $2 million Set Aside grant to Berkeley County to assist with the costs of the project.
QUOTES
“We are thrilled to be expanding our family-owned business to Berkeley County, S.C. The ability to build a manufacturing facility on the East Coast offers a unique opportunity to our clients and customers. We are looking forward to being part of the Lowcountry community for decades to come.” –W International CEO Ed Walker
“Today, we’re proud to celebrate another major win for South Carolina’s thriving manufacturing industry. This announcement by W International is a landmark moment not only for the company but also for Berkeley County, the Lowcountry community and our entire state.” –Gov. Henry McMaster
“From premium automobiles and wide-body commercial aircraft to medical devices and luxury boats, South Carolina is now a state that produces advanced products. With today’s announcement that an industry leader like W International is locating in Berkeley County, our manufacturing portfolio continues to grow. Congratulations to everyone involved on this project, and we look forward to seeing the impact these new jobs will have in the Lowcountry.” –Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt
“Berkeley County is pleased to be the new production home of W International. We are looking forward to the increase of 600 additional jobs for this county that continues to grow. We are excited for those who will get to be a part of this industry.” – Berkeley County Supervisor Bill Peagler
“We are so pleased to welcome W International to our community and look forward to their continued success. This was a seamless effort among several partners, and this company will be an integral part of our region’s growing industry clusters.” –Charleston Regional Development Alliance Board Chairman Robert Pratt
FIVE FAST FACTS
- W International is launching new production operations in Berkeley County.
- $35.2 million investment to create more than 600 jobs.
- W International is funding two new welding training programs at Cross and Timberland High Schools to train high school students as well as adults in partnership with Berkeley County’s Department of Adult Education.
- W International is a full-service manufacturer of large, complex, welded metal fabrications for a variety of industries.
- Located at Bushy Park Industrial Complex, the company’s new, 451,000-square-foot facility will provide manufacturing, custom fabrication, project management and more to a variety of clients.
- Hiring for the new positions is projected to begin in January 2019, and interested applicants can visit the company’s careers page online.
Roper Opens Medical Office on Berkeley County Campus
Monday, December 10, 2018 – Roper St. Francis Healthcare has opened its new Berkeley County medical office building, half of the hospital system’s new Summerville campus.
“Our strategy in developing our health care system revolves around serving residents closest to where they live and work,” President and CEO Lorraine Lutton said in a news release.
“With this new medical office building, we’re making it easier for families in Berkeley and Dorchester counties to access the quality and affordable health care that is the backbone of our brand.”
The new Berkeley Hospital medical office building, slated to open Dec. 10, will include the offices of a variety of specialists, including general surgeons, breast surgeons, orthopedic surgeons and OB-GYNs. Other services will include urology, dermatology, digestive disease treatment, cardiology, hematology and oncology.“I’m 5 miles away from here, so I know for the past 22 years, anytime we needed something, we have to get in the car, go, and drive 10, 15 miles to get to a facility,” said Jennifer Crawford, chief nursing officer for Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital. “And so for me, this is us being able to offer quality care to like family, friends, neighbors.”
Doctors will rotate into the medical office building based on patient need. Elisa Cooper, director of property management for Roper St. Francis, said 12 doctors will work out of the building initially, but at least 100 doctors could eventually be rotating in and out of the practices housed there.
“We are bringing the health care to the community instead of having the community fight to come to us,” Cooper said.
The first floor of the building can house classrooms, as well as radiation and oncology departments. The second and third floors are occupied by examination rooms and offices for doctors and hospital administrators.
“The cost of clinical space is really high, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to put your administration within the clinical environment of a hospital,” Cooper said. “They can go over there, but they don’t need to be housed over there.”
Photo: Charleston Regional Business Journal
The office building will be connected by a covered walkway to the new, 140,000-square-foot, 50-bed Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital, scheduled to open in October. This will be Berkeley County’s first new hospital in more than 40 years.Dr. Kenosha Gleaton, whose practice is based in West Ashley, said she decided to work out of the hospital’s office building one to two days per week.
“Health care access is paramount in our Charleston community,” she said. “We have a lot of patients who drive, for us in our West Ashley office, over an hour to get there.”
Gleaton previously worked out of Roper St. Francis’ Moncks Corner office for that reason.
She said moving her Moncks Corner office to the new office building is a “win-win situation.”
“It allows our Moncks Corner patients to have less of a drive than our West Ashley office, but it also allows us to be able to serve the Summerville patient population and to make sure that we’re here to support the hospital,” Gleaton said.
Cooper said the Berkeley Hospital campus also has the capacity for another medical office building as the community continues to grow.
“We’re committed to Berkeley County,” she said.
Source: Charleston Regional Business Journal – Reach Patrick Hoff at 843-849-3144.
$100,000 AVAILABLE TO TRI-COUNTY EMPLOYERS SEEKING TO TRAIN CURRENT EMPLOYEES
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS DEC. 13
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Dec. 3, 2018) – Federal Incumbent Worker Training Assistance (IWT) funds totaling $100,000 are available through the Workforce Innovations and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to assist tri-county employers in training current employees.
Private-sector employers in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties are eligible to receive funds, which must be used to train incumbent workers. The program is meant to assist with expansion, new technology, retooling, new services/product lines, and/or new organizational structuring. Incumbent worker training is not intended to fund periodic safety and refresher courses or occupational training for new hires.
Application submission deadline is 5 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2018.
“These funds will keep our region’s businesses and workers competitive in today’s rapidly evolving economy,” said BCDCOG executive director Ron Mitchum. “We encourage all eligible employers to apply quickly.”
INCUMBENT WORKER DEFINED
To qualify as an incumbent worker, individuals must:
- Be employed
- Meet the Fair Labor Standards Act requirements for an employer-employee relationship
- Have an established employment history with the employer for six months or more, unless the training is for a group of employees and the majority of employees in the specific training have been employed with the business for six months or more.
BUSINESS MATCH
Businesses or consortia participating in IWT are required to pay for the non-Federal share of the cost of providing training to their employees, which must not be less than:
- 10 percent of the costs for a business location with no more than 50 employees.
- 25 percent of the costs for a business location with more than 50 employees, but no more than 100 employees.
- 50 percent of the costs for a business location with more than 100 employees.
APPLICATIONS
IWT funds (excluding Rapid Response funded-IWT) are awarded on a competitive basis and given priority based on:
- Characteristics of the employees to be trained
- The relationship of the training to the competitiveness of both the employer and employee
- Per-participant cost
- Credential and skills gained as a result of the training
- Trainings in one of the in-demand sectors in the Trident area: Diversified Manufacturing, Transportation, Distribution & logistics, HealthCare, Information Technology, Construction Trades, Hospitality & Tourism.
- Employer size (The employer size defined in the application.)
-
- Small: 50 or fewer employees
- Medium: 51 to 100 employees
- Large: 101 or more employees
Note: Businesses should list trainings in order of priority of need, because, at times, not all programs listed on applications may be approved due to funding availability.
BUSINESS ELIGIBILITY
- Training entities and providers are not eligible for IWT funding or to act on behalf of a business or group of businesses as a third party.
For more information or assistance with the application process, contact Sharon Goss, Workforce Development Director, SC Works Trident at (843) 529-0400 ext. 203 or via email at sharong@bcdcog.com. Please visit tridentscworks.org or bcdcog.com for information and an application.
ABOUT BCDCOG
The BCDCOG is a voluntary association of, by and for local governments, and was established to assist Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester county leaders in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit, and coordinating for sound regional development. BCDCOG’s purpose is to strengthen the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint decisions. For the latest on BCDCOG, visit www.bcdcog.com, like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @BCDCoG.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Daniel Brock / Michael Stettner
Rawle Murdy
dbrock@rawlemurdy.com / mstettner@rawlemurdy.com
(919) 820-2612 / (214) 718-8027
