On April 27, 2012 at the Columbia Convention Center, Governor Jeb Bush will be speaking about education at the South Carolina Education Reform Summit.

This event is open to the public and has no cost to attend, but registration is required.

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Commerce salutes business and industry and recognizes state’s economic success

Gov. Nikki Haley and the South Carolina Department of Commerce honored selected economic development leaders as South Carolina Ambassadors for Economic Development as part of Industry Appreciation Week. The awards ceremony recognized 51 individuals from all 46 counties who contributed to economic development in their local communities.

The awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, April 17, at 4 p.m. at the Statehouse. Industry Appreciation Week provides an opportunity to say “thank you” to companies in the state for their many contributions to our communities, as well as a chance to build awareness among the residents of South Carolina that existing business is a fundamental driver of both the local and state economy.

“We are bringing investments and new jobs every day. In South Carolina, we build things. We’re building planes. We’re building automobiles. We’re building tires. We’re bringing in companies we never imagined we’d bring. Recruiting companies is a team effort and our team efforts are only going to continue to get stronger,” said Gov. Nikki Haley at the event.

In most communities across the state, small businesses continue to play an important role in job creation. Small businesses employ 750,147 South Carolinians, or about 49 percent of all people employed by private industry in the state. Small businesses also make up a large proportion of the manufacturers in the state. More than 3,200 manufacturers are considered small businesses, which represent more than 88 percent of all manufacturers in the state, and those firms employ 70,000 state residents.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell said in a statement, “Economic Development starts first and foremost on the ground level. Today, we recognized some outstanding Palmetto State business leaders as Ambassadors for Economic Development because of their hard work to advance the unified economic goals we share for South Carolina. The most valuable economic development resource our state has are those businesses that operate and succeed in the private sector every day.”

More than 220,000 South Carolinians are employed in the manufacturing sector, more than 12 percent of the state’s employed workforce. Manufacturing accounts for more than $26 billion in goods and services produced in the Palmetto State, which is 16.4 percent of South Carolina’s gross domestic product.

“Thanks to the hard work of our economic development community, South Carolina enjoyed numerous investments from world-class companies. With help from business and economic development leaders, our economic development team recruited more than $5.12 billion in capital investments and 20,013 jobs to our state last year. It’s the efforts of our business and industry that allow us to do that,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

During the past year, South Carolina also continued to add to its list of marquee companies with expansions and investments from companies such as Bridgestone, Continental Tire, Michelin, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, TD Bank, ZF Group and many more.

The ambassador awards presentation is one of many events that will occur across the state as part of Industry Appreciation Week. Local communities will also host a variety of activities to recognize and thank business and industry leaders.

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$5 million investment expected to create 45 new jobs

Duke Sandwich Productions, a maker of a variety of sandwich spreads, dips, dressings and dessert items today announced plans to locate its new production facility in Anderson County. The $5 million investment is expected to generate 45 new jobs over the next five years.

“We are pleased to move forward with plans to locate our new operations in Powdersville, S.C. Our company has a long history in the Palmetto State and we look forward to continuing to grow and do business here,” said Andrew Smart, CEO of Duke Sandwich Productions.

Duke Sandwich Productions will acquire the former Rock Tenn building, located at 211 Pine Road in Powdersville S.C., to house its new operations. The company will produce a range of sandwich and other spreads there. The facility is expected to be in operation by the end of the third quarter.

“It’s a great day in South Carolina when one of our long-established businesses decides to grow and further invest in our state. We celebrate the 45 new jobs Duke Sandwich Productions will create in Powdersville, and look forward to the company’s continued success in the Palmetto State,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.

In 2011, South Carolina recruited more than $4.7 billion in investment and more than 13,000 new jobs in the manufacturing sector.

“Duke Sandwich Production can trace its history in this state back nearly 100 years, and we appreciate the company’s continued commitment to South Carolina. This announcement grows both our agribusiness and manufacturing sectors,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

“Agribusiness, agriculture and forestry have been bright spots in South Carolina’s economy, and Duke Sandwich Productions’ announcement is a great example of new investment and job creation in the industry,” said South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers.

“I am very pleased that Duke Sandwich Productions has selected Anderson County as its new home. We are happy to have this long established company as a new neighbor,” said Anderson County Councilman Ken Waters.

The company will begin hiring for the new positions in September. Anyone interested in job opportunities with the company should contact SC Works Worklink Center in Anderson at 864-226-6273.

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Container volume in the Port of Charleston rose 12 percent in March, the strongest month for containerized traffic at the port since October 2008.

In results announced at today’s regular Board meeting, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) handled 134,857 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the Port of Charleston in March, up 12 percent from the same month last year and up 13 percent from February.

“We continue to work hard to grow our cargo volumes above the market and attract new shipping services to our ports,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the SCPA.

For the fiscal year to date (July through March), TEU volume was up just over two percent, while container volume for the quarter (January through March) increased seven percent from the same quarter last year. A number of drivers, including a new Europe service with APL, were said to be factors in this growth.

“There is no turning back on the big ship trend, and we’re seeing how harbor depth and access can influence carriers’ service decisions,” Newsome said, referring to Charleston’s deep shipping channels and post-45 harbor deepening project, which is currently underway.

At the same time, the SCPA’s non-containerized cargo figures remain strong, reflecting the agency’s cargo diversification strategy. The Port of Charleston handled 111,236 pier tons of non-containerized freight in March, up 53 percent from the same month last year.

BMW export vehicles and other roll-on/roll-off cargo handled at Charleston’s Columbus Street Terminal saw their best month since March 2008. The SCPA completed last year a $23-million improvement project at that terminal to support the growth of non-containerized cargo.

In the Port of Georgetown, pier tons were up 37 percent, with 34,119 tons handled across the docks last month. Petroleum coke and bulk cement are the largest commodities handled at the port.

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Pre-1994 Trucks Eligible for $10,000 Financial Incentive to Upgrade

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) is encouraging local truck owners to replace their older trucks with newer, cleaner rigs and is doubling the financial incentive for their participation. Eligible truck owners can now get a $10,000 incentive, plus the scrap value of their pre-1994 truck, to use toward the purchase of a 2004 or newer model.

There also will be a mobile office set up at the port’s Wando Welch Terminal each week to make it even easier for truckers to learn more about the benefits of upgrading their rigs, such as improved fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and decreased air emissions.

Seaport Truck Air Cleanup Southeast, or STACS, is a voluntary truck replacement program launched last fall that provides truck owners who are frequent port users a financial incentive to replace pre-1994 model trucks with 2004 or newer models.

The incentive for the program is funded by the SCPA, along with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) through an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant.

This is the first such truck replacement program in the region, making upgraded equipment attainable and financially viable for all truck owners, both companies and independent owner-operators. Twenty-four trucks already have been replaced in the local drayage fleet.

The program is being administered by Cascade Sierra Solutions, which has managed similar programs in other ports on the West Coast. Cascade Sierra Solutions’ local office is at the SCPA’s Columbus Street Terminal, and the company is establishing a mobile office at the Wando Welch Terminal once a week. The mobile office will offer regular hours of 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Tuesday, starting April 24.

According to a truck survey commissioned by the SCPA, about two percent of the trucks that frequent the Port of Charleston are 1993 or older model years. Based on EPA estimates, moving from 1993 or older trucks to 2004 or newer trucks reduces emissions by about 60 percent.

The STACS program is part of the SCPA’s Pledge for Growth environmental program that has already helped fund $5 million in retrofits, upgrades and replacements to trucks, tugs and other port equipment.

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$1.2 million investment expected to create new jobs

Ohio-based Grace Plastics, a plastics recycler, today announced plans to locate a new facility in Greenville County. The $1.2 million investment is expected to generate 16 new jobs over the next two years.

“We are excited about locating our new operations in Greenville County. The South Carolina facility will give us the opportunity to reach new customers in the Southeast as well as grow our overall operations. This is an important step in the life of our company,” said Harold J. Johnson, president of Grace Plastics.

Grace Plastics is establishing a new facility in a 60,000-square-foot existing building located at 3054 Fork Shoals Road in Simpsonville. The company offers a range of services including spotting trailers, shredding and grinding of purge, parts and baled plastics, as well as sorting partially assembled components, breaking them down and grinding.

“We celebrate Grace Plastics’ decision to invest $1.2 million and create new jobs in Simpsonville. More and more businesses from across the country are learning about the benefits of doing business in South Carolina,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.

Since the beginning of 2010, Commerce has recruited more than $430 million in capital investment and more than 1,000 new jobs in the recycling-related sector.

“Grace Plastics’ decision to locate here provides another boost to South Carolina’s growing recycling-related sector. We’ve seen several announcements across the state for recycling-related companies in the past year,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

Grace Plastics expects to begin initial operations at the facility later this week. The company will begin hiring for the new positions at a later date.

“We’re pleased that Grace Plastics has chosen to locate their new South Carolina operations here in Greenville County, and appreciate the valuable roles played by partners including the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Upstate SC Alliance in making this happen,” said Chris Riley, chairman of the Greenville Area Development Corporation. “As a family-owned business with innovative processes, blue-chip customers and a history of positive growth, their announcement is another positive boost to Greenville County’s growing business community.”

“Congratulations to the Greenville Area Development Corporation and the SC Department of Commerce on another successful addition to the Upstate business community,” said Hal Johnson, president and CEO of the Upstate Alliance. “Grace Plastics could have expanded anywhere in the world and chose Greenville. This is a strong testament to the conducive business climate this state has and the fact that the Upstate is a great location for businesses to enjoy continued success.”

“We look forward to Grace Plastics joining our state’s recycling sector. Recycling firms can help other companies reduce costs by avoiding landfill fees, and they also help provide good jobs,” said Ronnie Grant, chairman of the Recycling Market Development Advisory Council.

Founded in 1994, Grace Plastics is headquartered in Batavia, Ohio. For more information about Grace Plastics, please visit www.graceplastics.com.

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With over 85 participants representing over 35 industries, the Investor Roundtable Club (the Alliance’s newest initiative), is going strong. Read the rest of this entry »

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$750 million investment expected to create 500 new jobs. Read the rest of this entry »

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Buildings being razed after years of neglect. Read the rest of this entry »

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$10 million investment will double size of facility, add up to 13 new jobs. Read the rest of this entry »

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