Company will expand presence in South Carolina with a capital investment of more than $100 million and 250 new jobs

FLORENCE, S.C. – Florence County Economic Development Partnership (FCEDP) and North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) announced today that Johnson Controls, Inc. plans to build a new battery recycling facility in Florence, S.C. The facility is expected to represent a capital investment of more than $100 million and create 250 new jobs.

The announcement was made by Alex Molinaroli, President for Johnson Controls Power Solutions, along with South Carolina State Senators Hugh K. Leatherman and Yancey McGill; Rusty Smith, Chairman of Florence County Council; Frank James, Vice Chairman of the Florence County Economic Development Partnership; Hank Taylor, Senior Project Manager with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, and other state and local leaders.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Johnson Controls is a global Fortune 100 company with leadership positions in automotive interiors, building efficiency, and power solutions. The company already provides more than 1,000 jobs in the nearby region, including at its distribution center in Florence and a manufacturing facility in Oconee.

Johnson Controls’ Power Solutions business is the world’s leading supplier of automotive batteries, the leading independent provider of hybrid battery systems, and also a recognized leader in closed-loop, automotive battery recycling. Johnson Controls has been instrumental in making automotive batteries the most recycled consumer product in the United States.

“The proposed Florence facility will be the most innovative battery recycling operation in the world,” said Alex Molinaroli. “Our closed-loop system is state-of-the-art in terms of environmental controls, conforming well within all federal, state and local environmental regulations.”

"In today's highly competitive global economy, our state's ability to attract new jobs and investment is critical. Today's announcement is certainly an indication of our success in that regard. As well, this news is a reminder of the importance of focusing our efforts on improving the business climate here with fundamental reforms that encourage economic growth. We remain committed to continuing these efforts to encourage growth and create opportunity for more South Carolinians while helping companies like Johnson Controls be more competitive during these challenging times," said Gov. Mark Sanford.

“Johnson Controls is a world-class company and a leader in the automotive supply sector and in providing energy efficient products and services for buildings. Johnson Controls has previously invested in South Carolina, and it is gratifying to see them do so again. The company’s decision to locate its new battery recycling plant in South Carolina speaks to the strength of our workforce, the attractiveness of our business-friendly climate and our excellent market access. We appreciate the commitment Johnson Controls has made to the Palmetto State with this announcement,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

“We welcome the expansion of Johnson Controls’ presence in the Pee Dee,” said State Senator Hugh K. Leatherman. “We welcome the jobs and the investment, but most particularly we welcome this great global company that has already demonstrated that it is a solid citizen of our state.”
Johnson Controls’ new facility in Florence will be located on a 270-acre site that is near other major corporate leaders such as Roche Carolina, DuPont, and Smurfit-Stone. The property is off US-76 on Paper Mill Road, and the company plans to develop approximately 36 acres for its facility and parking, leaving the remaining acreage undeveloped. Portions of the site will be permanently protected through a conservation easement.

During today’s announcement, Molinaroli referenced his own upbringing in South Carolina. “I grew up in Charleston and I graduated from USC. I know first-hand that South Carolinians care about hard work, giving back to their communities, and protecting their natural environment. We share those commitments. That’s why our company feels at home here.”

Molinaroli noted that Johnson Controls will be hosting a public meeting to discuss the facility in greater detail, answer questions and get feedback from the public. The Public Meeting will be held Monday, June 15 at 6 p.m. at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology. “We want to be good neighbors and good citizens,” said Molinaroli. “The best way to do that is by engaging the public throughout our planning process. This will be the first of what we hope will be a series of meetings with the public.”

Dr. Charles Gould, chairman of the Florence County Economic Development Partnership, praised Johnson Controls’ expansion decision and the public process described by Molinaroli. “This company is committed to doing things right. We are going to do everything we can to make this important expansion a great success. The collaboration exhibited by all parties involved in this project exemplifies what teamwork is all about.”

“Having a global leader like Johnson Controls make another significant investment in this community reaffirms the qualified and diverse skill-sets of our great citizens, and the pro-business climate that continues to attract world-class companies” said Florence County Council Chairman K.G. “Rusty” Smith. “We are excited and pleased to continue the outstanding partnership that has been developed between Florence County and Johnson Controls.”

Progress Seen Despite Turbulent National Economy

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), an economic development organization encompassing South Carolina’s northeast region, has had several pockets of economic success despite the turbulent regional and national economy, according to the newly released 2009 Economic Outlook.

Though in the near-term, the NESA region and the State of South Carolina will face challenges as a result of the global economic slowdown, the report, put together by Drs. Donald Schunk of Coastal Carolina University and Jonathan Munn of Francis Marion University, clearly lays out the economists’ belief that the NESA region will rebound from the current recession.

“While every recession is different, the one constant is that they all end with economic expansion,” the report states.

The report shows that NESA enjoyed “an increase in overall employment with a net increase of roughly 28,000 jobs” over the past decade. In addition, the NESA region’s per capita income increased at a 4.1 percent average annual rate, for a total increase of almost $8,000 from 1997 through 2006 -- rate of growth that was “on par” with the rest of the State, according to the report.

Similar to the rest of South Carolina and the country, the NESA region has suffered from a slump in the housing market that precipitated the present economic downturn, the report states. However, there are pockets of success even in this troubled industry, such as the Florence MSA which “has seen an increase in the number of building permits issued,” and shows a trend of “steady, positive growth for single family dwellings.”

“On the industrial side, we continue to see some very solid inquires into our area and we feel that this is driven by our competitive business climate,” said Jeff McKay, NESA’s Executive Director. “In today’s economy, companies are being forced to map out business strategies that allow them to take advantage of cost savings in order to remain competitive and sustain their businesses. In our region, we can certainly help them meet those challenges.”

“As long as we do not allow ourselves to lose sight of our long-term goals, we will be well prepared to take advantage of the opportunity that will be presented when the economic pendulum swings back in a positive direction,” McKay said.

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) is a regional economic development organization that serves a nine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina. NESA’s primary objective is to significantly enhance the quality of life for residents of the region by creating additional jobs and capital investment within the existing industry base as well as through recruitment of new companies and expansion of tourism related development. NESA’s nine member counties are Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg.

North Eastern Strategic Alliance Examines 2009 Plans and Prospects at Annual Board Meeting

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), an economic development organization encompassing South Carolina’s northeast region, held its quarterly board meeting on Friday – looking ahead at the challenges and opportunities the regional organization will likely see in 2009.

The group discussed a range of issues including:
• The release of the First Quarter Regional Economic Outlook developed and presented by Drs. Don Schunk, Coastal Carolina University and Johnathan Munn, Francis Marion University.
• The recent South Carolina Department of Commerce trip to China – led by NESA board member, Rep. Douglas Jennings (D-Chesterfield and Marlboro).
• Plans for NESA’s upcoming consultant events occurring in Atlanta and Charleston as well as the organization’s 2009 business development missions set to occur in cities across North America as well as in Europe and Asia.
• The organization’s ongoing marketing, communications and business development efforts.
• The creation of a call center, regional overview and targeted marketing literature including the development of additional targeted marketing materials for plastics, manufacturing, and data centers.
• The development of a Logistics Call Model which is set to be released via the NESA website at the end of the month, and will allow companies to calculate transportation costs from NESA region cities in comparison to other cities.
• Recent successful efforts to drive traffic to NESA’s website. Last year, the average visitor to NESA’s website remained there for 22 minutes and in November alone, the site received over 65,000 hits.

“During such a challenging economic environment, it is vital for our region and this organization to remain focused on the tasks at hand, and maintain our commitment to regional growth and cooperation,” said Jeff McKay NESA’s Executive Director. “It is this type of difficult economic environment that highlights the importance of strong and proactive regional development efforts.”

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) is a regional economic development organization that serves a nine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina.
NESA’s primary objective is to significantly enhance the quality of life for residents of the region by creating additional jobs and capital investment within the existing industry base as well as through recruitment of new companies and expansion of tourism related development. NESA’s nine member counties are Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg.

NESA Holds Three Day Regional Economic Development Assessment Event

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), an economic development organization encompassing South Carolina’s northeast region, wrapped up its regional assessment event on Wednesday November 5th. The three day event featured a consultant from Silverlode Consulting who offered analysis and advice to counties within the NESA region on becoming more competitive in their responses to Requests for Information for economic development projects.

The event is part of an ongoing NESA initiative aimed at introducing economic development consultants to the region, improving the northeast region’s efforts to bring development to the area and ensuring that those who advise companies regarding location decisions are aware of the incredible opportunities presented by the Pee Dee and Waccamaw regions.

“Through events like this we ensure that the counties in our region consistently receive top-quality advice on the best way to attract new investment,” said Jeff McKay, NESA’s Executive Director.

Overall, Silverlode’s assessment of the NESA region concluded that in terms of site selection the area is very hospitable and boasts a strong infrastructure. The consultants also noted several arenas in which the region could improve and discussed ways to achieve success on those fronts.

“We’ve come a long way in a short while, but there is always room for improvement,” McKay said. “I look forward to working with the counties as they begin to implement the steps we discussed over the past three days.”

Cherry McCoy, Chesterfield County’s Economic Development Director, expressed her intention to incorporate the lessons learned at the event into her county’s operations. “I am confident that by taking what we’ve learned at this event and applying it in Chesterfield County we will continue to improve our economic development efforts,” she said.

“I’ve wanted to participate in a program of this nature for some time and am very grateful to NESA for putting this event together,” McCoy said.

The Silverlode Consulting Corporation provides economic development solutions for public and private sectors throughout North America. The firm offers over five decades of combined experience and has worked extensively with organizations of all sizes and from a variety of industries.

The North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) is a regional economic development organization that serves a nine-county region in the northeast corner of South Carolina. NESA’s primary objective is to significantly enhance the quality of life for residents of the region by creating additional jobs and capital investment within the existing industry base as well as through recruitment of new companies and expansion of tourism related development. NESA’s nine member counties are Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg.