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Article published: Jun 8, 2005
Clarendon to get industry, jobs
Paneling manufacturer will build $200M plant

MANNING — A $200 million manufacturing facility bringing 120 new jobs and hundreds of related positions will locate in Clarendon County by early 2007, county officials said Tuesday.

Grant Forest Products Inc., a provider of engineered wood panel products, will build two manufacturing plants, creating more than 240 jobs in Clarendon and Allendale counties. Construction of the Clarendon plant off S.C. 521 on Brogdon Road, about 1.5 miles east of Alcolu, is scheduled to begin six months after ground is broken at the Allendale site this fall.

"South Carolina has a combination of resources that we could not find anywhere else," Peter Grant Jr., president of Grant Forest Products Inc., said Tuesday. "We were looking for a willing, trainable work force, a government that understands the needs — and the value — of business, and a lot of timber. This state met and exceeded our expectations at every level."

Several factors played roles in Clarendon County's ability to attract the Canada-based company.

"If (S.C.) 521 wasn't widened to four lanes, if the (natural) gas line wasn't installed six years ago, if F.E. DuBose (Career Center) wasn't right down the road, we probably wouldn't have landed the company," John Truluck, executive director of the Clarendon County Development Board, said. "It happened fast. I received my first e-mail from them in March."

Clarendon County's rail and interstate systems and the county's timberland acreage also contributed to the county's desirability, Truluck said.

According to the Governor's Office, Grant Forest's first venture into the United States will have a significant economic impact on South Carolina.

"We've said from day one that growing our rural economy here in South Carolina and improving the climate for new and expanding businesses is one of this administration's core objectives," Gov. Mark Sanford said in a news release."We've got tremendous competitive advantages and a unique quality of life here that you don't find in many other states, and our focus continues to be on expanding those advantages so that more companies like Grant Forest Products bring jobs and investment here as opposed to elsewhere."

Clarendon officials were delighted with the announcement.

"This is the largest economic development this county has seen in many years," Truluck said. "This facility will be located on property bigger than our industrial park."

The new facility will occupy about 100 acres of a 1,000-acre tract that fronts on railroad tracks less than a mile from the old Georgia-Pacific mill.

Grant Forest will bring high-paying jobs to Clarendon County.

"Their average hourly wage will be in the high teens for 80 of the 120 jobs," Truluck said. "The other 40 jobs will be salaried positions averaging $30 an hour."

Clarendon County took a huge hit when Georgia-Pacific pulled out of Alcolu in the mid-'90s, but according to Truluck, Grant Forest will replace those jobs.

The incentive package that helped lure the manufacturer to Clarendon County is twofold.

For 20 years, Clarendon County will accept a fee of $850,000 per year in lieu of taxes and potential employees will be trained through the state's Center for Accelerated Technical Training, which will be offered at Central Carolina Technical College.

"The back wing of this building was built for just this type of training," Truluck said while standing in the auditorium at the F.E. DuBose Career Center at Central Carolina. "That section of the building hasn't been used yet, but we are about to put it into operation."

Using up to 3 million tons of wood per year at its two facilities, Grant Forest will create more than 440 jobs in wood harvesting and an additional 220 jobs in transportation, officials said.

Up to 120,000 inbound truckloads of round wood, 165 truckloads a day per mill, will be used at both plants with a potential investment of up to $70 million annually in South Carolina wood purchases. An additional $50 million will be spent annually in operating expenditures at the two plants.

"Our forestry sector is an integral part of our state's economy, especially when it comes to bringing growth to our rural areas and making sure we're focused on raising income levels in every part of South Carolina," Department of Commerce Secretary Bob Faith said Tuesday. "We're thrilled with this win and the jobs that will be created in Allendale and Clarendon counties."

Grant Forest is a manufacturer of oriented strand board (OSB) panels, an engineered wood product made from resins and multiple layers of wood strands. The company also produces OSB specialty products like web stock, rim board and oversized panels. Used in construction, oriented strand board is an economical alternative to plywood.

Headquartered in Toronto, Grant Forest has administrative offices in Earlton, Ontario, with three manufacturing plants in Canada employing more than 700.

Contact Staff Writer Sharron Haley at shaley@theitem.com or 803-435-8511.