FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — A boating company will be bringing over 100 new jobs to Fairfield County.
Fairfield County Economic Development helps recruit industries within the county and help the local industries grow.
Ty Davenport is the Executive Director of Economic Development for Fairfield County.
"In the last 18 months, we've had a lot of success. I think we've announced over 450 jobs and getting a little close to $60 million into investment," said Davenport.
MLILY USA announced last December they would be bring 250 jobs to the area. Qualex added 60 jobs. A new pharmaceutical company will bring an additional 30 jobs.
"The most recent announcement, Sea Pro Boats is going bring 130 jobs. They've invested, not including the building, another $3 million. We've really had a lot of good things happening here lately."
Sea Pro Boats is a company that specializes in make large manufacture boats. The company also invested $2 million into the facility they will be using. It's located off of SC Highway 34 next to the South Carolina Railroad Museum Inc.
Davenport says the company plans on making 200 boats within the first year.
The company also has a location next door in Newberry County.
"Things are improving but V.C. Summer really was a blow and it's very difficult to replace 5,000 jobs, with a thousand of them going to be permanent, at the pay levels that they paid out of the nuclear power plant. It was a real shock but we're trying our best to recover. It will be difficult to overcome that kind of loss."
At one point, Davenport said the county was the highest in the state in unemployment but are no longer.
Davenport believes it's big Sea Pro Boats chose to expand in Fairfield County and bring more jobs to the area.
"130 people making pretty good wages. They're good jobs, high-paying jobs. They'll be able to spend money in town and the restaurants and the shops and so forth. It's good for the downtown and it's good for the core of Fairfield County."
The company plans to get started in June.
According to a press release from Governor Henry McMaster's Office, "Individuals interested in joining the Sea Pro Boats, LLC team should call Gallman Personnel Services, after January 2, 2020, at 803-772-8046."
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