South Carolina continues to attract raw material manufacturers, boosting the state’s longtime textile heritage.
Fiber Industries, a producer of polyester staple fiber for high-end performance fabrics, workwear, knit goods and the automotive industry, said last week it plans to expand operations in Darlington, where it currently employs 300 people.
The company’s more than $30 million investment will create at least 50 new jobs. Fiber Industries’ expansion aims to increase capacity by restoring and modernizing production lines. The company will also use the additional investment to install state-of-the-art control systems and increase warehouse space.
Fiber Industries said it expects to complete the expansion project in early 2023. The South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to the Fiber Industries expansion project. The council also awarded Darlington County a $300,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to assist with the costs of building improvements.
“We are excited about the continuing growth of our facility which is now even better positioned to serve the needs of the American textile industry,” Fiber Industries CEO Don Bockoven said. “We also are proud to be part of the wider effort to reshore jobs and bring textile manufacturing back to the USA. We thank the state of South Carolina as well as Darlington County for their unwavering support.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said the state and his administration have “worked hard to create a pro-business environment in South Carolina, and Fiber Industries’ new expansion is further evidence that our strategy is paying off.”
“South Carolina has a long and storied history as a textile manufacturing leader and this expansion by Fiber Industries builds on that tradition,” the state’s Secretary of Commerce, Harry M. Lightsey III, said. “The expansion of Fiber Industries’ operation is tremendous news for Darlington County, and we look forward to the positive difference that these new jobs will make for our economy and communities.”
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Fiber Industries’ announcement followed the news that MycoWorks, a biotechnology company that specializes in mycelium-grown materials for use as leather alternatives, would establish operations in the state’s Union County. The company’s $107 million investment will create 400 new jobs.
MycoWorks’ new facility will increase the company’s capacity to meet the fashion and luxury industries’ growing demand for its materials, including its flagship product, Reishi. Operations are expected to be online in early 2023. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development also approved job development credits related to this project.