‘Perfect match.’ Growing company unveils its $69M plan for Columbia’s BullStreet
On a cool, breezy spring Tuesday morning, leaders from Columbia security fencing company AMAROK gathered with elected officials and community dignitaries on an open patch of grass at the BullStreet District to talk about the future.
And while the ground they were standing on is open for now, that won’t be the case for much longer.
AMAROK on Tuesday formally announced its intention to build a new corporate headquarters in the BullStreet District. The $69 million project, which will take shape during the next roughly two years, will include the construction of a new 125,000-square-foot building at the northwest corner of Freed and Boyce streets. That will be next to the Freed Street parking garage, and directly across the road from Segra Park baseball stadium.
The facility will have retail space at the ground level, and offices for AMAROK on the upper floors.
The commercial security fencing company, which was founded in Columbia in 1973 and has offices on Assembly Street, currently has 600 employees nationwide, with 300 of those based in Columbia. The construction of the new headquarters is expected to spur an additional 296 jobs in Columbia. Richland County Council approved a tax incentive package for the AMAROK project in early March.
Company leaders said Tuesday that AMAROK secures more than 9,000 commercial businesses across 49 states with state-of-the-art electric fencing and integrated perimeter security technology.
AMAROK CEO Mark Wesley said the company has been in talks with BullStreet leaders for several years about the possibility of establishing a facility there.
“We are super excited to join the BullStreet District,” Wesley said. “The sense of community and the vibrant atmosphere is the perfect match for our culture, which is a high-energy culture and an innovative culture.”
Richland County Council Chairwoman Jesica Mackey noted Tuesday that AMAROK has grown its business tremendously since its beginnings in the 1970s. The councilwoman said the company is ready to take center stage at BullStreet.
“AMAROK has not only grown, we’ve seen AMAROK thrive,” Mackey said on Tuesday. “They’ve built a company culture that is engaged in community and has earned recognition as one of the best places to work in South Carolina. ... Some of you didn’t know AMAROK before (Tuesday). Well, that changes right now.”
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann was among those in attendance Tuesday, and noted the importance of the hundreds of new corporate jobs coming to the heart of the BullStreet District. The city of Columbia and Greenville’s Hughes Development are in the midst of a two-decade plan to transform the 181-acre former State Mental Hospital site.
“It’s another puzzle piece,” Rickenmann told The State. “BullStreet is a puzzle, and all of these projects have different connections. AMAROK is a high-energy company that is going to help with putting the pieces together.”
The BullStreet District continues to see momentum, including the December opening of the Gather COLA food hall, the upcoming 10th anniversary season of the Columbia Fireflies baseball team, new restaurants slated to open including Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and Coastal Crust Pizza, hundreds of new apartments spread across the district, a recently opened Three Notch’d Brewery, the University of South Carolina’s under-construction new medical school and much more.
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 1:36 PM.
