Hemingway Sewing Solutions, a subsidiary of Beverly Knits, one of the largest circular knitters in the United States, plans to invest $3.3 million to establish operations in Hemingway, S,C., and create 242 new jobs.
Hemingway Sewing Solutions, which will be based 60 Apparel Drive in Hemingway, designs and develops fabric for a variety of markets, including active wear, intimate apparel, outdoor products, mattress and bedding, automotive, industrial and medical.
Hemingway will manufacture for brands such as Purple Mattress, Indigo and Vapor Apparel, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense.
“We are excited to become a part of Williamsburg County,” Hemingway Sewing Solutions CEO Ron Sytz said. “Our investment in Hemingway Sewing Solutions is extremely important as more products are reshored to the USA. Made in the USA is the best way to guarantee quality and delivery of textile products.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster aid the state’s manufacturing history is deeply rooted in the textiles industry “and we are happy that Hemingway Sewing Solutions is continuing that proud tradition.”
“The 242 new jobs they are creating will make a significant and positive impact on the Williamsburg County community, and we welcome them to the South Carolina business family,” McMaster added.
Beverly Knits, based in Gastonia, N.C., designs and develops fabric for a variety of markets, including activewear, intimate apparel, outdoor products, mattress and bedding, automotive, industrial and medical. The company also produces fire retardant products for apparel, bedding and industrial end uses.
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Founded in 1980, Beverly Knits is owned by Ron Sytz, who is the company’s CEO, and his wife, Janet, who serves as chief financial officer. The company operates 250 circular knitting machines, which produce 30 million square yards of fabric annually. Its manufacturing and warehousing facilities cover 310,000 square feet in four buildings, with about 60 percent of production devoted to apparel and 25 percent to bedding. The balance is split among automotive, medical and industrial fabrics, including those used for lamination and agriculture.
This is the latest in several investment in South Carolina by raw material manufacturers. Fiber Industries, a producer of polyester staple fiber for high-end performance fabrics, workwear, knit goods and the automotive industry, said in January that 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.
MycoWorks, a biotechnology company that specializes in mycelium-grown materials for use as leather alternatives, announced it 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.