British firm plans to hire 50 at new Orangeburg County facility

A British-based carbon fiber textile manufacturer announced Thursday it will invest $12 million in a facility at the John W. Matthews Jr. Industrial Park.

Sigmatex plans to create 50 new jobs at the Orangeburg County facility over the next five years. It is one of the largest projects the company has undertaken in its 28-year history.

“We believe this facility will enable us to meet any foreseeable future market requirements and ensure we are prepared to continue to support the supply chain in delivering the growth requirements in the aerospace and automotive sectors,” Sigmatex CEO Scott Tolson said in a prepared statement.

“We look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation with the state and local officials and to further supporting our expanding customer base with carbon textile solutions,” he said.

The company says it develops and makes carbon fiber textiles for composite materials, converting “millions of pounds of carbon fiber each year for major projects that require high levels of quality and reliability.”

Ground will be broken on the new $6 million, 75,000-square-foot facility by the end of the year. Operations could begin in mid-2015.

The facility will be located near the entrance of the Matthews Industrial Park on about 20 acres. It will be constructed to allow for expansion up to 150,000 square feet and eventually up to 450,000 square feet to accommodate the potential growth in the aerospace industry.

“We are looking forward to a good marriage,” Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright said. “Orangeburg County is user friendly. We recognize we are here to improve the quality of life for those in Orangeburg County with good-paying, solid jobs.”

The company will pay above Orangeburg County’s average wage of $14 an hour.

The facility will be funded by a low-interest loan from the state-owned utility Santee Cooper. The terms of the loan and an incentive package for the company are still being worked on.

Other states considered for the plant include Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina.

Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Ken Middleton said the last two weeks have shown Orangeburg County is on the move. Last week, the county broke ground for the new Interstate 95-U.S. Highway 301 interchange.

“Orangeburg has landed another aerospace leader in Sigmatex and the positive momentum continues,” he said.

Other Orangeburg County companies serving the aerospace industry are GKN Aerospace, Zeus and Triumph Tube Inc.

Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, said Sigmatex has a very bright future. The park is named after the senator.

“We have a good location and we have people who will give you a day’s work for a day’s pay,” Matthews said.

Orangeburg County is on the “cutting edge of the future in terms of job creation and job opportunities,” he said. He eventually would like to see five class A industrial parks in the Global Logistics Triangle, which Orangeburg County defines as the area around Interstate 95, Interstate 26 and U.S. Highway 301.

“Thank you very much for coming to our county. You are making a lot of dreams come true,” Matthews said.

It took about a year to finalize the project, Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said.

The company will be the first to locate in the 556-acre John W. Matthews Jr. Industrial Park, which is located at the corner of U.S. Highway 301 and U.S. 176. Orangeburg County is also planning to build a separate speculative building at the site, which will also be funded through Santee Cooper.

The project received praise as it announced its arrival in the county with the second-highest unemployment rate in the state in August at 13.2 percent.

“We couldn’t be more excited that a company like Sigmatex has chosen Orangeburg as the location of their fifth manufacturing facility,” Gov. Nikki Haley said. “It’s great news for the local community and hardworking people who live there. Sigmatex will further strengthen our reputation as a place where manufacturers of carbon fiber not only want to be but can grow and succeed for many years to come.”

State Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt highlighted the importance of foreign investment.

“Foreign direct investment continues to be a critical piece of South Carolina’s economic development strategy,” Hitt said. “We are thrilled to welcome Sigmatex to the Palmetto State. I congratulate them on this terrific announcement and look forward to all of their future growth and success in our state.”

“We congratulate Orangeburg County for their vision and delivery of quality sites and infrastructure in support of future growth and economic development,” CentralSC Alliance Chairman Mike Brenan said. “Today’s announcement is a classic example of being ready to meet the needs of industry. Speed to market is critical as the automotive and aerospace sectors in South Carolina continue to flourish.”

“Santee Cooper has supported the development of the Matthews Industrial Park because it offers so much potential for Orangeburg County,” said Lonnie Carter, Santee Cooper president and CEO. “Sigmatex is an excellent fit for Orangeburg County and a solid cornerstone for the Matthews Industrial Park.”

Hiring is expected to begin in May 2015. Visit www.sigmatex.com to learn more.

Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.