Automotive

COLUMBIA, S.C. – September 13, 2011 – JR Automation Technologies LLC, a maker of automation equipment for the automotive, pharmaceutical, food and general industries, today announced plans to expand and locate its new sales, engineering and manufacturing facility in Pickens County. JR Automation is investing more than $2 million and is expected to create 54 new high-tech jobs over the next five years.“We are very pleased to locate our new sales, engineering and manufacturing facility in South Carolina.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – September 7, 2011 – The ZF Group, a supplier to the automotive industry, will expand its operations in Laurens County. The $80 million investment is expected to generate 300 new jobs.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – August 17, 2011 – Griffin Thermal Products LLC, a maker of thermal transfer products for automotive and industrial sectors, will relocate its existing operations to a significantly larger facility in Piedmont in Greenville County. The multi-million dollar investment is expected to generate at least 50 new jobs, and possibly more, as the new facility becomes fully operational.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – August 3, 2011 – Gov. Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and BMW today announced that the company will further increase its workforce in South Carolina, creating 100 new jobs at the Spartanburg plant. The company is also creating two new workforce programs at the facility along with the additional jobs. Harald Krueger, BMW Group Board Member responsible for Human Resources, confirmed the company's intention to hire 100 professional employees.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – June 22, 2011 – Gov. Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Futures Group of Spartanburg County today announced that Draexlmaier Automotive of America LLC, an affiliate of the Dräxlmaier Group, will expand its current facility in Spartanburg County. The $22.35 million investment is expected to generate 150 new jobs over the next five years.

Gov. Haley and Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt today toured a Dräxlmaier Group Automotive facility in Germany.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – June 7, 2011 – Gov. Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and Alliance Pickens today announced that VCI-SC Inc., a metal working firm, will establish its new facility in Pickens County. The $2 million investment is expected to generate 50 new jobs.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – May 9, 2011 – Gov. Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and Lexington County today announced that Michelin will invest another $200 million in its Lexington facility to further expand its tire building capacity. The tire maker has already invested more than $1 billion in the site since it was first established in 1981. This latest project, for which all equipment will be installed by the first half of 2013, will create 270 new jobs, phased in over the next two years. Work will begin immediately.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – September 21, 2011 – During an event today attended by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Bridgestone Americas, Inc., a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, announced the construction of a new 1.5 million-square-foot off-road radial tire (ORR) manufacturing facility on a greenfield site in Aiken County. Bridgestone Americas also announced an additional 474,000-square-foot expansion of the existing passenger (PSR) and light truck (LTR) tire plant in Aiken County.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – PA Solutions, a full-service automation controls engineering company, is constructing a new facility in Greenville County. The development will result in $65,000 in new capital investment and create 40 new jobs.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Roy Metal Finishing (RMF) is expanding its current operations by building a second facility in Greenville County's Matrix Business and Technology Park. Having added more than 100 jobs since its 2011 expansion, the new $16 million investment is expected to generate at least 40 new jobs over the next two years.