An unidentified manufacturer plans to move to North Charleston, employ 350 workers and invest $29 million in a new plant, Charleston County Economic Development Director Steve Dykes said.

"They just asked that their identity be held confidential until they can get an announcement together," Dykes said Tuesday.

The deal is known as "Project Heritage" within economic recruiting circles, and Dykes said a formal announcement could occur within two weeks.

The development is expected to be the county's largest -- in terms of number of new jobs -- since the Vought Aircraft Industries Inc.-Alenia Aeronautica partnership announced two years ago that it would create about 600 new jobs at a new plant being finished near the Charleston International Airport.

"The head count is substantial," Dykes said of the new manufacturer. "It's the kind we like to see."

Without any discussion, Charleston County Council voted unanimously to offer an incentive package to lure the company, which Dykes said is currently not looking at any other site. The county's fee-in-lieu-of-taxes deal would provide the manufacturer with a property tax break for the next two decades.

"It's roughly a 40 percent reduction from what a manufacturer would normally have to pay," he said. Dykes said he could not say which North Charleston site the company is eyeing, but he said it's interested in moving here because of the available work force, not to supply another existing area manufacturer.

They make an end-use product," he said.

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com.