Harbor Freight Tools success story Investing in a rural county for national success
Harbor Freight Tools, a family-owned national tool retailer, built its original Dillon County distribution center in 2001. South Carolina’s location and infrastructure supported such growth that the warehouse has now been expanded three times. The rural facility serves as the California-based company’s East Coast hub for receiving and distributing products, and Harbor Freight has grown to become Dillon County’s largest employer.
Warehouse and workforce expansion
Harbor Freight Tools has grown to have more than 1,600 stores nationwide and more than 75 million customers. As demand has increased, the company has continued to invest in its Dillon County distribution center — due in part to proximity to one of our state’s inland ports, a ready workforce and the strong business environment in South Carolina. The third and most recent expansion project in 2017 increased the size of the facility by one million square feet and created more than 500 jobs, bringing the company’s total investment in South Carolina to more than $200 million.
Continued local and state support
The distribution center is located in the Tri-County Gateway Industrial Park, which is jointly owned by Dillon, Marlboro and Marion counties. State and local officials collaborated with the company on their choice to locate there and all expansion efforts. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits and Rural Infrastructure Grants of $6 million dollars to assist with the costs of site preparation. A Community Development Block Grant worth $1.46 million was also approved.
Since we opened our first facility here in 2001, the company has continued to grow and so has our need for a larger distribution center. We’ve made an investment in Dillon, becoming part of the community, and we’re proud to expand our presence in this region. Dillon County, along with leaders from Marion and Marlboro County, were instrumental in our decision to expand here.
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