MANNING — 84 Lumber will invest $13.4 million and create 78 jobs in Manning. The Clarendon County city was selected as the site of the company’s second truss facility.
84 Lumber’s new operation will be located at 2678 Ram Bay Road in Manning. Floor and roof trusses will be made at the facility. Trusses built there will primarily be sent to coastal marktets, including Savannah, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas.
It is 84 Lumber’s second component facility in the state. The first was announced in December and is in Lugoff.
The company was founded in 1956 and is a provider of building materials, manufactured components and services for single and multifamily residences and commercial buildings.
84 Lumber’s Vice President of Installed Sales and Manufacturing Ken Kucera said the component plant is an investment in the future of 84 Lumber and Manning.
“We’re bringing a dedicated workforce and cutting-edge technology. We’re excited for the bright future as we continue to grow,” Kucera said.
Clarendon County Council Chairman Dwight L. Stewart Jr. said the facility will bolster the county’s manufacturing sector and reinforces its forestry industry.
State Forester Scott Phillips said 84 Lumber’s decision is a strong vote of confidence in the state’s forestry industry.
“Our record level of timber supports exactly this kind of forest-based economic development, which is a testament to the private landowners who sustainably managed forestlands powere one of the state’s leading industries,” Phillips said.
Gov. Henry McMaster called 84 Lumber’s decision a victory for the state’s thriving business community.
Individuals interested in joining the 84 Lumber team should visit its careers page — www.84lumber.com/careers.
Palmetto Brick announces $5 million expansion
WALLACE — Palmetto Brick recently announced a $5-million plant expansion that will make it one of the most technologically advanced brick manufacturers in the United States
The new packaging system means no human hands will touch the bricks until a brick mason puts them into a wall, Palmetto Brick Vice President Kevin Light said.
“We already had one plant that was fully robotic, but this new project gives voth of our plants this awesome technology,” light said.
Palmetto Brick President Andy Rogers said the new packaging system will make Palmetto Brick one of the few brick manufacturers in the county that has two plants that are packaging robotically.
“Having been a past chairman of the Marlboro County Development Partnership, it really makes me appreciate how Marlboro County is dedicated to not only seeking new industries but is steadfast in their support of our existing industry,” Rogers said.
Palmetto Brick is one of the largest family-owned brick manufacturers in the southeast. It has been in business for more than 105 years.
The company has 115 employees and a capacity to produce 90 million bricks a year.
State Sen. Gerald Mallow said existing industries are the backbone of the local economy.
“Their success is our success,” he said.
Marlboro County is the gateway to everywhere. It is centrally located between Interstates 74, 20 and 95. It is within a day’s driver of 75 percent of the U.S. population, Marlboro County Economic Development Executive Director Tonny McNeil said.
“Marlboro County has a low cost of living which equates toa low cost of doing business which means that any business that locates in our community will thrive,” McNeil said.
Marlboro County Council Chairman Anthony Woods said Palmetto Brick has been a fixture in Marlboro County for more than 105 years.
“We are going to ensure they’re here for many more years to come,” Wood said.