Business Facilities - March 2008 - (Page 61)

FRS Picks Pickens, Bids Adieu to Québec utomotive supplier Fluid Routing Solutions (FRS), Inc. recently announced plans to keep 450 jobs in Pickens County, SC and move 115 jobs from Québec, Canada to Pickens in an effort to consolidate its power steering operations. After months of negotiations, FRS decided to move capital equipment from Québec and combine it with the company’s existing power steering operations South Carolina Congressman J. Gresham Barrett was one of in Pickens. In the next 18 to 24 months, many state officials to speak at FRS officials will decide whether to add the Fluid Routing Solutions announcement ceremony. onto the plant or build a 150,000-squarefoot facility in the Pickens County Commerce Park. The move from Québec to South Carolina nearly went in the other direction. “FRS made it clear to us this summer that they were going to close this plant and move these jobs to Canada,” says Ray Farley, executive director of Alliance Pickens, the county’s economic development agency. “Fortunately they gave us an opportunity to convince them to stay. And not only have they chosen to stay, they are investing more than $10.5 million and creating 115 new jobs.” FRS also has operations in Florida, Michigan, and Tennessee. SOUTH CAROLINA: The Germans Are Coming! A T recently announced plans for new wo German automotive suppliers Lowcountry: It Saves to Pave in Georgetown I PHOTO CREDIT: SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE n January, Lowcountry Paver, LLC announced plans to open a manufacturing facility in Georgetown, SC. The $5 million investment will create 20 new jobs initially, with 20 more planned for the future. The manufacturer of concrete paving stones and retaining walls will locate its 30-acre, 40,000-square-foot facility in the Georgetown County Commerce Park and will be serviced by Santee Electric Cooperative. “When we first realized that we needed to expand, we had the option of going south towards Florida or north towards Charleston and Myrtle Beach,” says Thomas M. Curry, president of Lowcountry Paver. “Geographically, Georgetown seems perfect. Our products are very heavy and expensive to ship. Locating in Georgetown will allow us to service the coastal areas from Charleston to Myrtle Beach much more affordably.” Sel Hemingway, chairman of Georgetown County Council, adds, “Specialty manufacturing of this type reinforces this area’s attractiveness to entrepreneurial, growing companies that add high paying jobs for local residents.” facilities in South Carolina. Last month, Berlin-based Koerber LLC said it would locate its first production facility outside of Germany in Laurens County, SC. The company, which manufactures complex, machined aluminum parts, will occupy a 50,000-square-foot facility in Hunter Industrial Park, becoming the fourth international company to locate there. Koerber officials said recent requests from existing customers to expand to North America influenced their decision, which had been a consideration for many years. “We anticipate Koerber to invest approximately $10 million and create an estimated 70 positions as a result of the investment,” says Marvin Moss, executive director of Laurens County Development Corporation. “This is great news for Laurens County.” In January, Richard Fritz, Inc. announced that it will invest $6 million at a new facility in Duncan, SC in Spartanburg County. The company will bring 63 new jobs to the area and will use the facility to produce encapsulated automotive glass. Richard Fritz, established in Stuttgart, Germany, is a supplier to many carmakers including Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, Mercedes, and Saab. Fritz has two facilities in Germany and operations in Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, and France. “The company’s decision to locate in South Carolina speaks to the strength of our state’s automotive sector, business climate, and workforce,” says Joe Taylor, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce. BUSINESS FACILITIES 61

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Business Facilities - March 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots California Seeks Immigration Reform To Spur Economic Growth Outside the Biotechnology Clusters Global Biotech Competition Heats Up Location Is Key To Your Bottom Line New Incentives For New Hampshire Metro Spotlight: Jersey City, NJ Europe's Center For Goods, Real and Virtual Access Your Markets From Pennsylvania Corporate Moves: Illinois Louisiana Upgrades Important Port Road Projects To Accelerate Michigan's Economy Corporate Moves: South Carolina Metro Spotlight: Salt Lake City, UT Advertiser Index Inside LiveXchange

Business Facilities - March 2008

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