Here are the 7 biggest job-creating projects Richland County has had the last 6 years
Richland County has been on an economic development roll lately.
Scout Motors Inc., backed by Volkswagen, announced on Friday it would build an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Blythewood — a $2 billion investment that could potentially create 4,000 jobs. While that is one of the biggest economic development announcements the county has ever seen, the area certainly hasn’t been hurting for projects that have promised to invest millions of dollars and generate hundreds of jobs in recent years.
From alcohol brewing facilities, to air conditioning manufacturing and clothing distribution, Richland County has had a wide variety of big economic development projects poised to pump millions of dollars into the local economy.
Here are the seven biggest economic development projects announced in Richland County over the last six years.
Richland County 2022
- Mark Anthony Brewing cut the ribbon on its $490 million, 1.3-million-square foot brewery in the Pineview Industrial Park. The development brought more than 300 jobs. This is one of the largest breweries built in the U.S. in over 25 years, according to the Richland County Economic Development Office. Mark Anthony Brewing’s new facility, located in Pineview Industrial Park in Columbia, produces White Claw Hard Seltzer, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Mike’s Harder Lemonade and Cayman Jack Cocktails. The new facility was built to provide capacity to keep up with consumer demand in the southern United States. Mark Anthony Brewing provides supply chain management and brewing services for The Mark Anthony Group, one of North America’s fastest-growing beverage companies.
- The Ritedose Corporation announced it is expanding at the Carolina Research Park in a $81 million investment that will create nearly 100 jobs. The Ritedose Corp.’s first phase of expansion includes adding square footage to its existing facility. The expansion will also involve internal renovations to the facility’s existing structure. When complete, the expansion will allow the company to manufacture an additional 400 million doses of pharmaceuticals. Also, the first phase of the expansion and the addition of approximately 50 of the 94 total jobs is set to be completed in early 2024. Founded in 1995, locally-owned Ritedose Corp. operates a state-of-the-art “blow-fill-seal” (BFS) facility, where liquid-pharmaceuticals are formulated, filled and packaged for distribution. For over 25 years, the company has been an industry leader in the aseptic production of sterile, single-dose medication, serving the contract development manufacturing, generics and 503B outsourcing markets, a development office press release states. The company’s customers include small startups, retail pharmacies and large pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers and hospital systems.
- PurePower Technologies is set to expand in Blythewood in a $5.4 million investment that will create 300 jobs. PurePower supplies diesel fuel injection systems for Ford Motor Co. and other diesel engine manufacturers. The $5.4 million will be invested over two years toward machinery and other equipment to build production capacity and improve efficiency at PurePower’s facility. More investment is anticipated after the first two years of the agreement.
Richland County 2021
- BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the state’s largest insurance provider, announced that it expected to hire 700 new employees and make $60 million in new technology investments over the next five years in Columbia. BlueCross currently has more than 14,000 workers in Richland County.
Richland County 2017
- Charter NEX Films announced it would locate a new specialty film manufacturing operations in Richland County. The project was expected to bring $85 million of capital investment and lead to the creation of more than 110 new jobs. Charter NEX Films is one of North America’s leading independent producers of high-performance specialty films used in flexible packaging and other critical performance applications. The company’s products are used for a variety of applications, including food, medical and protective purposes. Located in the Carolina Pines Industrial Park on Farrow Road in Blythewood, the company announced it would construct a new 140,000-square-foot facility. Hiring for the new positions was projected to begin in the second quarter of 2018.
- Trane, a leading global provider of indoor heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, announced it would invest $96 million and create 700 new jobs to increase its overall flexibility in line with business growth. Trane at the time of the announcement had approximately 600 employees in South Carolina. Located at 400 Killian Road in Columbia, Trane’s previous facility made components and units for HVAC equipment. The expansion, completed in 2019, grew the facility by 680,000 square feet.
- LuLaRoe, a national provider of women’s and men’s clothing, announced it would locate a new distribution center in Richland County. The project was expected to bring approximately $35 million of new capital investment and create at least 1,000 new jobs over the next few years. The distribution center was finished in mid-2017. Founded in 2013 by DeAnne and Mark Stidham in Corona, California, LuLaRoe clothing is sold by more than 80,000 Independent Fashion Retailers throughout the United States.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 12:36 PM.
Patrick McCreless
The State