Quality Model adding 37 jobs; Orangeburg home to U.S. operations headquarters

“The QM Group is pleased to reaffirm, through this investment, our confidence in the Orangeburg community and in South Carolina for fostering the appropriate competitive advantages for our business,” QM Group founder and owner Bill Szekesy said.

“Our preference for this location has been established to the point where we have now designated it as our U.S. operations headquarters,” he said.

Orangeburg County is providing the company with economic development incentives including the fee-in-lieu of taxes and job tax credits. The project will be placed in a multi-county industrial park.

About $8 million of the new investment will be used for machines. The rest will be used to purchase land.

The new jobs will include office, engineering and other technical positions with an average hourly wage of about $15.

“The addition of their U.S. operations headquarters is very special,” Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright Sr. said. “We value their partnership and growth.

“This is an excellent time to celebrate in Orangeburg County and we thank the QM Group for helping us start off the new year with this tremendous announcement.”

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said, “We celebrate this latest expansion and extend our appreciation for investing in Orangeburg, our community and our residents.

“We wish you continued success in 2019 and beyond.”

The QM Group specializes in mold building, injection molding, urethane molding, thermoforming and secondary assembly.

The Orangeburg County facility operates under the QM Group’s plastics division, which offers design, tool building and manufacturing services for the power sports, industrial, automotive and aftermarket industries.

Located at 190 Global Drive in the Orangeburg County/City Industrial Park, the QM Group’s Orangeburg County facility opened in 2005.

Since that time, the company has invested more than $16 million and created 100 new jobs in the community.

The company operates five North American facilities, including locations in Indiana, Michigan and Ontario.

“The U.S. operations headquarters is the big piece,” Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said. “I am pleased for the U.S. operations headquarters and thank them for their continued commitment in Orangeburg County and in South Carolina.

“Anytime we can get another international headquarters in the state is a testament to the success of our manufacturing presence.”

The announcement received statewide praise.

“South Carolina is proud to have international manufacturers like the QM Group operating within our borders,” Gov. Henry McMaster said. “This announcement is a great win for one of our rural communities, and I look forward to watching the QM Group continue to thrive there.”

“Today, we celebrate the continued growth of another one of our existing industries,” Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said. “The QM Group’s decision to further invest in Orangeburg County is a testament to the business-friendly environment that exists in Orangeburg and across this state.”

For more information about the QM Group, visit www.qmigroup.com.