COLUMBIA, S.C. — Days after a proposed fee-in-lieu agreement for its expansion project being voted down by Richland County Council, FN America, a global firearms manufacturer, announced it is expanding in Pickens County.
The company will invest $33 million to build a new 100,000-square-foot facility in Liberty, a town between Easley and Clemson in Pickens County, and create around 176 new jobs in the process.
FN America has been located in Richland County since 1979 and develops and manufactures small firearms for the US military, including lightweight machine guns, medium machine guns and additional weapons for the U.S. Department of Defense. It also makes firearms for law enforcement agencies and general public consumers.
The manufacturer had proposed an expansion of its facility in northeast Richland County, using a fee-in-lieu-of-property taxes (FILOT) agreement where a qualifying company can negotiate a flat fee with the county rather than pay property taxes.
According to information found on Richland County's Economic Development site, FILOs can
- significantly lower property tax payments by negotiating lower assessment ratios (from 10% to as low as 6%)
- lower property tax payments on average 43%
- allow negotiation of applicable millage rate to a 20-year locked rate or a five-year adjustable rate
FILO terms of agreement are typically 20 years, some can range up to 30 years, and do have monetary penalties attached for companies not making or reaching time-sensitive goals.
FILOs are also discretionary agreements voted on by councilmembers. Richland County Council turned down FN America's code-named Project Charlie Echo in a 5-5 vote with one recusal. The investment deal would have brought $16.5 million to the county and created 100 new jobs.
FN America's expansion in Pickens County is expected to break ground in 2024 with an estimated completion date of 2025. Construction will take place over two phases.
The company will be hiring positions for its Pickens County facility in operations, manufacturing, quality assurance, supply chain and logistics, safety and more. Individuals interested in future positions at FN America’s Liberty, South Carolina facility are encouraged to visit careers.fnamerica.com