Western South Carolina Attracts Billions in Manufacturing Investments From Global Companies
Rolls-Royce plant in Aiken County is among the companies receiving manufacturing investments in South Carolina.
Western South Carolina has pulled in hundreds of millions from manufacturers like Rolls-Royce and Kimberly-Clark. Four counties, Aiken, Edgefield, Saluda, and McCormick, have turned into hotspots for business growth over the past few years.
Rolls-Royce pledged $75 million to grow its Aiken County plant, which started operations in 2010. Sixty jobs will arrive. The facility will balloon by 60,000 square feet across two construction phases.
"This latest $75 million investment is to expand our machining capabilities to support the tremendous production ramp-up of our mtu Series 4000 diesel engines that power our mission-critical diesel generator sets for data center applications," said Philipp Steinle, vice president of operations at the Graniteville campus, according to Livability.
Kimberly-Clark is constructing a 1.2 million-square-foot automated warehouse at its Beech Island campus, which is already the company's biggest American manufacturing site. Robots and AI-powered logistics will run the operation.
"The local workforce in Aiken County has been instrumental to Kimberly-Clark's success," said Jeff Hutter, plant manager of the facility. "We're fortunate to have a highly skilled and empowered team that brings deep experience and dedication."
Will Williams, president and CEO of the Western SC Economic Development Partnership, points to capacity limits elsewhere in the state. Other parts of South Carolina ran out of room for factories.
German precision engineering firm Mikro-Technik picked McCormick County for its first North American location. Meta, Columbia Vehicle Group, and Luck Cos. have announced expansions or new sites nearby.
