Local Data
Location & Expansion Log
Diverse companies – from startups to multinational corporations – continue to relocate and expand existing operations in the Charleston region.
Archive: 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
New, Expanding, and Mergers & Acquisitions
2014
Boxell Aerospace
December 22, 2014
Aircraft repairs, maintenance and modifications
Boxell Aerospace is moving closer to Boeing South Carolina’s 787 campus and Charleston International Airport in North Charleston to “allow for quicker response to customers,” Boxell Aerospace founder and President Lance Syner said. The firm plans to build a 3,000-square-foot facility to house its new headquarters and expand its Federal Aviation Administration 145 Repair Station, replacing its current headquarters and repair station in West Ashley. Boxell also provides continuous services to operators at the airport. Work includes daily plane inspections for FedEx and overnight inspections for JetBlue, as well as tire repairs, oil services or component changes. Boxell has 12 employees between its Charleston and Savannah locations.
Mankiewicz Coatings
December 22, 2014
Distribution facility for coatings manufacturer serving the medical, automotive, aviation, rail and yachting sectors
As a result of increase demand from its automotive and aerospace customers, Mankiewicz Coatings plans to relocate its Berkeley County operations to a larger facility at 1200 Charleston Regional Parkway. The approximately 90,000-square-foot building will allow Mankiewicz to increase its production, technical center and logistical operation by the third quarter of 2015. The Berkeley County site is the global company’s only U.S. operations.
Hubner Manufacturing Corp.
December 22, 2014
Transportation equipment parts manufacturer
The expansion will add about 55,000 square feet to its current 100,000-square-foot facility at 450 Wando Blvd in Mount Pleasant. This location is the company’s only U.S. operation, founded in 1995. Hubner USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Germany-based Hübner GmbH & Co. KG. It employs about 2,000 workers in 12 countries. Hubner USA last expanded its Charleston County operations in 2010. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. Hiring for most of the new positions is anticipated to take place in the first quarter of 2016.
Porter Airlines
December 15, 2014
International passenger air service
Canadian-based Porter Airlines will be offering non-stop service seasonally between Toronto, Canada and Charleston beginning February 2015. Voted "Best Small Airline in the World" in the 2013 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Poll, Porter Airlines boasts premium in-flight options such as leather seats, complimentary beer and wine, and exceptional service on every flight.
Zapp Precision Wire Inc.
November 20, 2014
Manufacturer of stainless steel, nickel alloys and titanium wire
Zapp Precision Wire Inc. plans to invest $30 million to expand its Summerville plant by 30,000 square feet, adding a new production line and machinery and equipment, along with 20 additional jobs.
Anyware Express
November 10, 2014
Transportation, warehousing & logistics services
The growing company has operated out of two buildings in North Charleston, and is expanding to a 100,000 sq foot space at 9016 Palmetto Commerce Pkwy, sharing the space with another firm. The need for more warehouse space drove the expansion, particularly with the firm's support of the automotive and medical manufacturing industries. Locally Anyware Express has 20 employees, plus 50 drivers and a fleet of 60 trucks and serves companies throughout the Southeast.
Intertex Transloading Services, Inc.
October 29, 2014
Worldwide distributor of synthetic rubber, carbon black and process oils
Intertex World Resources, Inc. is investing $3.2 million to establish Intertex Transloading Services, Inc. in Moncks Corner, S.C. The investment is expected to create 10 local jobs. The new Berkeley County facility, a more than 100,000-square-foot building, will specialize in the transloading of carbon black.
Atlatl Software
October 29, 2014
Sales Resource Planning (SRP) software combining CPQ, CRM & SFA into a single application using 3D interface in support of manufacturing sales
Atlatl Software recently announced that it will be expanding to a larger 15,000 square foot office at 174 Meeting St in downtown Charleston, S.C. to house more than 150 employees with capacity to double that amount. New hires will include artists, animators, human-machine interface designers and software developers, among support staff to the region. Atlatl is a multinational, Charleston-headquartered firm with offices around the world.
APAC Customer Services Inc.
October 27, 2014
Customer care outsourcing services
APAC Customer Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Expert Global Solutions, Inc. (EGS) and operates in North Charleston along with EGS subsidiary NCO Financial Systems, Inc. (NCO). The 200 new full-time positions created by this expansion a will support a major healthcare client. APAC's clients span many industries, including communications, education, financial services, government, healthcare, insurance, retail, technology, transportation and logistics, travel and hospitality and utilities. APAC is working with readySC, an initiative that partners South Carolina's technical college system with employers to develop training curricula tailored to meet a company's specific needs.
ATS Logistics
October 8, 2014
Supply chain services, including local drayage, light assembly, intermodal and freight management services, nationwide shipments, transloading and food-grade warehouse space
Expanded to include 140,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center in North Charleston that includes a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Centralized Examination Station.
TorqTek Design & Manufacturing LLC
September 28, 2014
Design/production of timing gears, transmission components and assemblies
New operations will be housed in approximately 100,000 square feet at 4500 Leeds Ave. in North Charleston. After exploring options in neighboring states, TorqTek chose to expand in North Charleston for its proximity to existing and prospective customers in the automotive market.
Innovative Machining Technology, Inc. (IMT)
August 26, 2014
Global supplier of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components for the power generation industry
The 37,000-square-foot facility, located at 245 Deming Way in Summerville, will manufacture components for power generation equipment, including gas turbines, as well as nuclear and hydrogen generators that are in service around the globe. The new facility is expected to be operational in early 2015.
SpecChem LLC
July 30, 2014
Manufactures repair mortars, grouts, epoxies, concrete sealers, form release agents, curing compounds and bond breakers
Greg Maday, chairman and CEO of SpecChem, said the Dorchester County location will make it easy for their inventory to be shipped to distributor partners in Miami and New York within one day. The facility will be SpecChem’s first in South Carolina. It already operates plants in Farmersville, Texas; Edwardsville, Kansas; Kansas City, Kansas; Hoschton, Georgia; and Las Vegas, Nevada. SpecChem acquired a 65,000-square-foot existing facility in Harleyville, and will be capable of producing at full capacity by the end of the year.
Sportsman Boats Manufacturing
July 21, 2014
Saltwater fishing boat manufacturing
"Sportsman has experienced phenomenal growth in our first 2 1/2 years in business, with a current dealer footprint along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Miami, around the Gulf states into Texas and around the Great Lakes," said co-owner of the firm. The 74,000-square-foot facility in Summerville will be expanded by 116,000 square feet, nearly doubling in size to accommodate demand for the company's existing and expanding product line.
Senior Aerospace - AMT
July 10, 2014
Manufacturing and assembly for the aerospace industry
Senior Aerospace AMT, a manufacturer of structural parts for leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the large commercial jet market, will be opening satellite operations in Charleston County, creating 60 new skilled jobs. To meet the increasing build rate requirements and streamline operations, the company plans to assemble existing products that deliver to Boeing SC within the North Charleston area. Establishing a local satellite location represents the first step to transfer tools and inventory to complete the sub-assembly on existing product that delivers directly to Charleston.
Fruit of the Loom Palmetto Distribution Center
July 3, 2014
Distribution center
Fruit of the Loom plans to double its Berkeley County distribution center’s current 350,000 square feet by adding 402,000 square feet and 49 new jobs by 2016. The construction will start fall 2014 and be complete by August 2015.
Coastal Logistics Group
June 26, 2014
Third party logistics services including warehousing
Coastal Logistics opened its 200,000-square-foot facility at 2725 W. Fifth North St. in Summerville in the spring to provide export services for original equipment manufacturers, including disassembling, packing and shipping vehicles in a semi-knocked-down process. The company plans to expand into the power generation, construction and aerospace industries and offer import and export services. “They offer highly specialized services for shipping international cargo, and their presence will no doubt drive increases in container volume through our capable Charleston facilities,” S.C. Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome said. Coastal Logistics is operating the facility as part of a partnership created last year with global logistics provider Kuehne & Nagel Inc.
JBE Inc.
June 24, 2014
Services Provided: Sub-assembly, Warehousing, Distribution, Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), Kitting, Sequencing, Inspection, Sorting, Packaging.
Established in 1982 as a family owned business in Hartsville, S.C., it now operates from a 200,000-square-foot facility, plus a 32,000-square-foot facility in Pell City, AL, serving customers such as Boeing, Cummins, Otis Elevator, Honda, Sonoco, Hengst and ABB. JBE, Inc. currently has more than 55 employees and proudly holds the following certifications: AS9100C, ISO/TS 16949:2009, ISO 9001:2008, Foreign Trade Zone, MBE, SBA-8a graduate, and HUBZone.
Lineage Logistics
June 23, 2014
Cold storage
The firm will break ground in July on a 340,000-square-foot cold storage distribution facility in the Palmetto Commerce Park in North Charleston. The facility will have high-capacity blast freezing and transportation solutions for customers to export proteins to foreign markets. It will also include design features that expedite domestic consumer access to imported products, according to a company statement. Lineage has facilities in 21 states.
Agro Merchants Co
June 23, 2014
Cold storage and logistics services
This is Agro’s first operation in South Carolina. The Alpharetta, Ga.-based company plans to renovate the 120,000-square-foot former Piggly Wiggly Distribution Center. The facility will include eight blast freezing cells and 14,000 frozen pallet positions. Argo will freeze and store products heading through the Port of Charleston to Mexico, Eastern Europe, China, Africa and the Middle East.
iQor
June 19, 2014
Inbound/outbound customer service call center
iQor is a global provider of business process outsourcing and product support services with 32,000 employees in 17 countries. “We have every confidence that the highly skilled Lowcountry-area labor market can provide the talented individuals required to handle the complex transactions inherent to the servicing of our top-of-industry clients,” said Mason Argiropoulos, iQor’s chief human resources officer.
New World Pharmaceuticals, LLC & New World Consumer Products, LLC
June 17, 2014
New World Pharmaceuticals engages in the research and development of innovative drug delivery systems that remove or mitigate constraints to taking medications and supplements.
About New World Pharmaceuticals, LLC
The company is specifically focused on the development of oral and intradermal controlled release technologies.
New World Pharmaceuticals has developed and patented temperature and pH responsive micro-gel technology that increases and sustains the oral bioavailability of carbohydrates and certain other BCS Class I, II & III drugs. The company is also developing and has patented novel intelligent intradermal delivery technology for use with both small and large molecules.
About New World Consumer Products, LLC
New World Consumer Products is bringing the science of human nutrition and carbohydrate metabolism to high performance athletes with an emerging portfolio of patented products and technologies. Our flagship product, XRCEL TM, is a scientifically-advanced sports performance fuel based on patented formulation technology developed by New World Pharmaceuticals, LLC.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
June 2, 2014
Steak house
Ruth’s Chris Steak House will open at 57 S. Market St. in downtown Charleston in the fall with 75 employees. This is the first in the Charleston area, and will appropriately be located adjacent the French Quarter Inn, as the birthplace of Ruth's Chris is New Orleans.
Pacific Rim Aerospace (PacRim)
May 28, 2014
Engineering services and solutions for the aerospace industry
This provider of solutions for aerospace engineering applications has established an office in the Charleston region to allow for more direct support of its customers in the growing Southeast aerospace sector. The company cited the growing demand for highly skilled engineers and engineering solutions as a key reason for selecting Charleston for this new operation.
Comact USA
May 20, 2014
Forestry equipment manufacturer
Less than a year after establishing local operations, the British Columbia-based equipment manufacturer for the forest industry will expand its manufacturing facility in Dorchester County. The 3,500 square foot expansion of its existing 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space will allow space for another line that will produce log and timber-handling equipment primarily used for sawmills.
Gander Mountain
May 19, 2014
Outdoor gear and apparel retailer
Gander Mountain will open its first S.C. store in North Charleston in fall 2014 in a 40,000-square-foot space in the Promenade at Northwoods center across from Northwoods Mall.
Scout Boats
May 13, 2014
Boat manufacturing
The company is building an additional 30,000 square feet, expanding its 182,000-square-foot facility. Founded in 1989 by President and CEO Steve Potts, Scout Boats are sold through 72 dealers across the globe.
Aeterna Zentaris
May 5, 2014
Specialty biopharmaceuticals
Aeterna Zentaris Inc., has selected the Charleston region for its newest North American business and global commercial operations. The company anticipates transitioning to a commercial-stage operation over the next year with plans to establish strategic partnerships with MUSC and other clinical and research facilities.
PeopleMatter
April 29, 2014
Cloud-based human resources software
PeopleMatter has opened a new 10,000-square-foot sales and customer operations center at 483 King Street, across from its very new downtown Charleston headquarters. The software company said this expansion will create an additional 50 jobs over the next 18 months and will allow the firm's main office to focus on product development, engineering, marketing and finance.
TPM, Inc
April 29, 2014
3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) Software, 3D Printing and Scanning, Data and Document Management Solutions, Reprographics and Large Format Graphics
Wholesale provider, trainer and servicer for 3D Design Software, 3D Printing and Scanning, and related equipment and services, TPM serves a variety of industries including Manufacturing, Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Design.
Dupuy Storage and Forwarding
April 1, 2014
Warehousing
Increased importing activity of coffee beans imported through the S.C. Ports Authority influenced New Orleans-based Dupuy's decision to choose Charleston for this 100,000 sq ft site. Beans imported through the Charleston area are distributed throughout the Southeast and Gulf Coast.
Andell Inn
March 14, 2014
100-room hotel
The property will offer studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units with room rates from $200 to $750 per night depending on the season. The boutique hotel will also have 1,000 sq feet of meeting space.
Escapada Living
March 13, 2014
First retail store for signature resort-wear brand
The resort and beachwear brand, which was founded in the Charleston area, is carried in more than 2,000 boutiques and resorts around the world. This is its first signature store and plans are for other stores in Palm Beach and Naples FL.
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians
February 28, 2014
50-acre medical campus
The campus will feature twin 150,000-square-foot medical office towers and will be built in the 4,500-acre Nexton community currently being developed in the Summerville area. The campus will include an ambulatory surgery center, clinical and administrative offices, medical retail, a hotel for patients and their families, plus assisted- and independent-living facilities and more. Capital Investment of $135 million is just for first phase.
Kaman Engineering Services
February 25, 2014
Engineering services
A subsidiary of Kaman Aerospace Group, Kaman Engineering Services' new Charleston region office will support the growing aerospace demands in the Southeastern United States. In 2012, Kaman Engineering was presented with the Boeing Supplier of the Year award for its exceptional performance and contributions to Boeing’s overall success.
Southern First Bank
January 28, 2014
Banking services
This is the second Charleston area office for the Greenville, SC-based financial institution. The first is located in downtown Charleston. Plans are for this branch to open summer 2014.
The Iron Yard Academy
January 28, 2014
Coding and web development school
The Charleston branch of the Greenville-based school will initially offer two programs: front-end engineering and rails engineering. The Iron Yard will soon add mobile engineering to focus on iOS applications. The Charleston area was chosen for this subsidiary due to its becoming a tech hub in the Southeast.
Extra Space Storage
January 28, 2014
Self-storage warehouse
The four-story, climate-controlled facility has three elevators and 138,000 square feet, including 1,100 storage units.
Grand Bohemian Hotel Charleston
January 23, 2014
Boutique hotel, including an art gallery, meeting space, a wine blending and tasting room, and a rooftop restaurant
Richard Kessler, chairman and CEO of The Kessler Collection, has announced a 50-room, four-story boutique hotel in downtown Charleston at 55 Wentworth St. The property is planning an opening in the first quarter of 2015, and will hire approximately 100 employees.
