RIDGEWAY, S.C. — The Virginia-based company Luck Stone has received approval to mine granite in Ridgeway and now they are searching for locals to help fill spots in their company.
The quarry is being built off Highway 34 and I-77 behind Winnsboro's water supply tower.
The project was officially approved by DHEC and Fairfield County in January of 2022, and now Luck Stone says they are preparing to open.
"We have been looking at this property for the last several years, we've done some extensive testing on the property and know that it's going to be a good crushed stone source," SE Region Vice President, Joe Carnahan. "Right now, we have partnered with a site development company and they are getting ready to mobilize, and grade the site in a way that is usable for our operation starting in about the middle of next year when we'll start the extraction process. We'll process our material into different sizes of rock that can be used for road base, through concrete ingredient as well as asphalt."
The company says they are working to hire for everything from salespeople to welders and equipment operators, with the goal of being staffed before opening for sales in the summer of next year.
And several people from the Fairfield community like Janice Watkins came out with the hopes of being one of those new hires.
Watkins currently drives 45 minutes from her home in Fairfield to her job in Columbia. She feels that having another company in the area could help others like her in the community.
"There's a lot of companies that start out in Winnsboro then they close and so you're having to find employment in other locations and it may require that you drive a little further than you want," Watkins explained.
Now that the luck stone company has hosted its first community event, they plan to begin taking pre-blast surveys and surveying the wells of properties surrounding the quarry as well.