Haier America to expand Kershaw County appliance plant, add 400 jobs

Haier America, the first Chinese manufacturer to locate in South Carolina, said it will turn shovels Thursday in Camden on a $72-million expansion that will nearly double the size of its existing operation and add more than 400 employees during the next five years.

The groundbreaking is planned for the company’s 300,000-square-foot facility near downtown Camden in Kershaw County, where the company has built major appliances such as refrigerators since 1999. Haier announced its first overseas plant, in Camden on 110 acres, in 1999, promising a $30 million initial investment.

By 2006, the company had increased its investment in the Palmetto State to $60 million, according to the state Department of Commerce. In 2009, Haier expanded its appliance line-up, adding a refrigerator/freezer line to its America-built product line.

Earlier this year, company officials indicated through a public relations firm that Haier expected to make a big announcement later in the year, but Haier executives declined interview requests at the time. Haier and other Chinese companies often view American states as their best shot at gaining a manufacturing toe-hold in the lucrative, $17-trillion U.S. economy.

Haier officials also declined to comment on the proposed plant Monday, citing their announcement and groundbreaking planned for Thursday. Kershaw County economic development officials also declined to comment on the planned expansion, citing Thursday’s event, in which Gov. Nikki Haley is scheduled to join Haier America officials at the Kershaw County plant.

Haier America is a subsidiary of the Haier Group, the world’s No. 1 major appliance brand as ranked by Euromonitor International 2014, and a global leader in consumer electronics, according to the company website. The company employs more than 70,000 people worldwide and distributes products in more than 100 countries. The company generated $32 billion in revenue in 2014, it says.

“The expansion allows the company to increase annual production considerably, positions the global leader in appliances and consumer electronics at the forefront of American design and manufacturing, and enables Haier to serve the trade and consumers with reduced fulfillment time and quick servicing,” according to a media alert sent Monday by the Chicago firm 50000feet Inc.

“The expansion is just one example of Haier’s growth in U.S. markets,” the statement continued. “The company is innovating on its existing products and releasing new products that satisfy Haier’s brand and business objectives of offering whole-home solutions to a range of U.S. consumers, at various stages of life.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Haier America to expand Kershaw County appliance plant, add 400 jobs."