Location & Expansion Log

Redwood Materials

December 14, 2022

Jobs: 1,500
Investment: $3.5 Billion

Reclaiming and recycling end-of-life batteries and production scrap to produce battery components

Headquartered in Carson City, Nevada, and founded by Tesla's former Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder JB Straubel, Redwood Materials will use its Berkeley County, South Carolina campus to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicles. The company will onshore production of the most critical components in batteries--the anode and cathode--to reduce costs and emissions while securing the supply chain within the United States. All battery components will be built from as much recycled material as possible. The more than 600-acre campus, located at Camp Hall Commerce Park in Ridgeville, will initially produce enough anode and cathode material for 100 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery cell production or 1 million electric vehicles each year. "South Carolina's commitment to creating a secure energy future and a competitive landscape for electric vehicle manufacturing, supported by a world-class workforce, fast and efficient logistics, zero-carbon electricity and a phenomenal site, made it a smart decision for Redwood to invest here...allowing us to support our current and future customers in the heart of America's battery belt. We're ready to support this region and U.S. electrification by driving down battery costs, emissions, and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains," said Straubel. Operations will begin in 2023.

IdentPro-USA

November 23, 2022

Jobs: 30

Software for digitalization solutions supporting intralogistics

Being a leader in warehouse optimization and material tracking in production and and warehousing, companies such as Warsteiner, BMW and Schutz rely on IdentPro's unique IoT solutions. With the move into the USA, German-based IdentPro is following their vision of digitizing intralogistics sustainably and holistically. "With the opening of our office in [Charleston] we will have a stable base in the USA, this will enable IdentPro to support our customers in the US. The choice of Charleston is positioning us [among] the fastest growing tech industry in the US and will help us to support our US based customers even better. Also for our European customers we will be a better partner by giving them the high level of support in the USA as they receive from us in Europe," said Erik van Rikxoort, President & CEO, IdentPro-USA. Their IoT solutions not only increase efficiency but also provide more planning reliability in the entire supply chain. This "Landing Pad" company is poised to grow now that they've landed in the Charleston Region.

Eveon Containers Inc.

November 18, 2022

Jobs: 5

U.S. headquarters and logistical hub for sales and distribution of decommissioned shipping containers

The firm announced it has selected the Lowcountry of South Carolina for its U.S. headquarters. Eveon is a global provider of sustainable building, shipping and storage solutions with European headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and operations in Germany and Canada. Launched in 2019, the company sees Charleston as an ideal hub in North America because it shares many qualities with Rotterdam, including "being steeped in history, having a reputation for friendly people, and being established and thriving port cities... We don't just sell containers, we sell opportunities for customers to launch a business, start a pop-up restaurant or simply to save money on storage," Eveon CEO Aad Storm said. "With 45 million containers in the world, our goal is to recycle, repurpose and reduce emissions, one container at a time. We believe these containers, once retired from sea, can serve another purpose on land." Eveon has already begun operations at its North Charleston location at 4900 O'Hear Ave. Suite 100.

Nucor Corporation

September 28, 2022

Jobs: 50
Investment: $425 Million

Steel and steel products

With a history dating back to 1905, Nucor Corporation manufactures a variety of products including carbon and alloy steel, hollow structural tubing, electrical conduit, precision castings and more. The company's products serve the agriculture, automotive and energy industries along with several others. At the Charleston area plant located at 1455 Old Hagan Avenue in the Huger area of Berkeley County, Nucor's latest expansion will include the addition of a galvanizing line that will expand the manufacturing of corrosion-resistant products. The expansion is expected to be complete in mid-2025.

Fifth Third Bank

August 11, 2022

Financial services

Ohio-based Fifth Third Bank, N.A., recently announced entry into the Charleston Market. Founded in 1858 as the Bank of the Ohio Valley, the company first opened in Cincinnati and today has grown to one of the largest consumer banks in the United States, with more than $207 billion in assets and operations now in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas. Fifth Third has four main businesses (commercial banking, branch banking, consumer lending and wealth management / investment advisory) and more than 20,000 employees. February 2023 update: Local expansion continues as the bank now has a mortgage team in place, is opening its first branch on James Island and plans another branch opening in Mount Pleasant following that. Both will host the company's 'Next Gen' design, including mobile bankers using technology that allows them to meet and serve customers in a variety of settings. The company plans to add 10 or more additional branches in the Lowcountry by 2025. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies for several years, according to the organization.

SHL Medical Ltd.

July 18, 2022

Jobs: 166
Investment: $90 Million

Manufacturing of plastic components of disposable auto-injectors used in the medical and healthcare field

Zug, Switzerland-based SHL Medical said its new facility at 7791 Palmetto Commerce Parkway will be operational by Q2 2024. The company makes autoinjectors, pen injectors and other devices that let patients self-inject at home. The company also offers contract manufacturing and engineering services for products such as wafer testing equipment, laboratory handling equipment, neurosurgical devices and industrial equipment. "Our new U.S. site will be a state-of-the-art facility that will support our customers further with our end-to-end capabilities, providing high-quality drug delivery systems to end users -- patients around the world," said Ulrich Faessler, the company's medical chairman and CEO. The North Charleston facility "brings us closer to our customers and reduces the risk of supply chain disturbances," while also supporting the company's sustainability goals which include reducing global shipping distances. The Swiss-based company also has research and development facilities in Sweden and a design, testing and manufacturing campus in Taiwan. 2023 update: investment estimate raised to $165 million.

Engeser

June 15, 2022

Jobs: 26
Investment: $1.595 Million

Automotive parts (Cable/harness) manufacturing

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Schram­berg, Ger­ma­ny, ENGESER USA Corp. designs and manufactures high-quality products for cable and connection technology ranging from classic cable assembly to comprehensive system solutions. A family-owned company, ENGESER USA Corp. serves automotive applications, consumer and capital goods, solar engineering, rail technology and more. Located at 115 Fabricators Street in Summerville, ENGESER USA Corp.’s Dorchester County facility is the company’s first North American manufacturing operation and will allow the company to offer direct delivery domestically and to European customers. The new facility will utilize modern technologies to produce cost-optimized, high-quality cable harnesses, one of ENGESER USA Corp.’s core areas of expertise. Operations are expected to be online by September 2022.

BGRM / Buffalo Groupe LLC

March 8, 2022

Jobs: 25

Headquarters for full-service integrated marketing, media and communications consulting

Buffalo Groupe, LLC acquired Charleston-based full-service marketing firm Rawle Murdy in 2019 and has now decided to bring its entire headquarters to Charleston SC from Reston VA. Simultaneously, Rawle Murdy is rebranding to BGRM as part of its evolution under the Buffalo Groupe -- a "collection of agencies, events, and media properties that authentically serve the escape industries of golf, outdoor recreation, travel, lifestyle, real estate, and active sport." This collection of companies includes Buffalo Agency, BGRM, 54 Brands, Longitudes Group, Morning Read, and Moments Live. Buffalo Groupe is now headquartered in Charleston, SC with company offices in Charlotte, Portland, and Los Angeles. BGRM remains a Charleston-based, full-service integrated communications firm where strategic thinking, branding, content creation and delivery have been helping businesses thrive for nearly 50 years.