Local Data
Location & Expansion Log
Diverse companies – from startups to multinational corporations – continue to relocate and expand existing operations in the Charleston region.
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Downsizing
2015
Century Aluminum
December 1, 2015
Primary aluminum smelter
Century Aluminum has announced the layoff of 487 workers for Dec 22, 2015, due to inability to reach an agreement with utility Santee Cooper regarding a negotiated power rate and/or ability to deliver power from a third party provider over Santee Cooper lines. If no agreement is reached by Dec 31, 2015, Century announces it will also lay off the remainder of the plant's 600 workers and close the facility. Santee Cooper advances that the plant's budget issues lie more in the global supply and demand of aluminum and its affect on pricing and therefore their bottom line. 12/31/15 update: a power agreement was reached to maintain the plant's operation at about half capacity, retaining approximately 300 jobs.
Stryker (Formerly Berchtold)
September 4, 2015
Manufacturer and distributor of surgical lighting systems and other operating room equipment
Stryker Corp is closing the former Berchtold Corp. plant on Hanahan Rd in Charleston County by the end of 2015. The Michigan-based company is merging these operations into the rest of its existing manufacturing network, affecting approximately 180 local jobs.
Hill-Rom Holdings Inc.
July 31, 2015
Specialty medical equipment manufacturer
Batesville, IN-based Hill-Rom will close its North Charleston site in a corporate-wide realignment of real estate assets. About 70 jobs will be affected, mostly call center workers who will be offered the opportunity to transfer to call centers at headquarters. About 20 to 30 employees in engineering, IT and other specialties will be reassigned to the Charleston Trumpf Medical Systems office, a high-tech surgical lighting designer and manufacturer that Hill-Rom bought from a German firm in 2014.
UTI Integrated Logistics
July 31, 2015
Freight transportation arrangement
UTI announced an office closure in North Charleston affecting 100 jobs.
Jacobs Applied Technology
April 8, 2015
Design, engineering and manufacture of process units
60 jobs affected. No reason has been publicized as of 4/1/2015 by the California based company for the local plant closing.
