Orangeburg County Council: Company plans to invest $17.6 million; 30 new jobs will be created

An unidentified company plans to invest $17.6 million and create 30 new jobs in Orangeburg County.

The investment includes $6.5 million in buildings and $11.1 million in machinery and equipment, according to Orangeburg County Attorney Jerrod Anderson.

Orangeburg County Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday authorizing a fee-in-lieu of taxes agreement with the company being discussed publicly under the name Project Stallion. Typically, projects are not publicly identified until deals are finalized.

The company is planning to locate in the former Mayer Industries building at 3777 Industrial Boulevard. Industrial Boulevard is near Interstate 26’s Exit 145.

Orangeburg County Economic Development Director Gregg Robinson said the building has been upgraded with new dock doors. The roof of the building has also recently been replaced.

The 147,000-square-foot facility was built in 1970. It has been vacant since July 2019 when Mayer closed after nearly 50 years of business in Orangeburg.

Three years ago, Zeus Industrial Products entered into an agreement with plans to purchase the property if no material adverse conditions were discovered.

Zeus later alleged that volatile organic compounds were found in the property’s soil, which constituted a condition that justified Zeus’s termination of the agreement.

Appian Orangeburg Industrial, LLC purchased the property in 2020 and conducted a hazardous waste cleanup.

A Zeus lawsuit against Mayer was later dismissed.

The property is served by the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities.

Also during Monday’s meeting:

• Council unanimously passed a resolution amending an existing joint county industrial park agreement with Dorchester County. The resolution is related to Foundry Dorchester Commerce Center LLC in Summerville.

• Council gave first reading to an ordinance adding provisions to its public services code to ensure commercial driveways in the county are in line with state codes.

• In honor of Black History Month, Vice Chair Janie Cooper-Smith noted there are several items that were invented and improved by African Americans, including potato chips, the blood bank, gas mask, elevator, traffic lights, the printing press and light bulb filament.

• Council went into closed session to receive a legal briefing; economic development updates related to Project Pizza, Project Stallion, Project EA and Project Independence; and a contractual matter related to the Orangeburg County Courthouse.