Gov. McMaster and other South Carolina officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a Japanese battery plant in Florence.
South Carolina Secretary of State of Commerce Harry and Lightsey, and Managing Director of AESC Jeff Deaton, were among the other leaders who joined McMaster on stage.
The Wilson High School cheerleaders and drum line kicked off the event and welcomed attendees with an exciting performance.
AESC battery plant has 5,600 employees and 12 manufacturing sites in Japan, the U.S., the U.K., France, Spain and China. The plant will employ more than 1,100 workers with an average salary of around $65,000 a year, according to officials.
Florence County Economic Development CEO Gregg Robinson calls it one of the biggest economic development projects in the county's history.
"For the North Eastern section of the entire state, this is the biggest economic development project that we have ever had. It ranks in the top three for economic development projects for the state of South Carolina. For the Northeastern strategic alliance in our region, this is an opportunity for us to grow our tax base. To advance qualities of life. And employ future generations in a brand new technology. It’s a milestone," said Robinson.
The Palmetto State will provide water, sewer and a newly built road from Highway 327 to Estate Road, as an incentive, for the plant.
AESC will supply technology-leading battery cells to be used in the next-generation electric vehicle models produced at the BMW Group’s Plant in Spartanburg. The advanced battery format will result in 20% more energy density than the current generation, reduce charging time and increase range and efficiency for electric vehicles by 30%.
In the past 12 years, AESC has produced power batteries for more than 800,000 electric vehicles in 59 countries, achieving a record of 'zero critical battery malfunction, according to a news release.
The plant has the potential to bring a lot of business and travelers to the area.
A spokesperson for Florence Regional Airport said, "The impact of AESC will be monumental to the economic growth of the Pee Dee Community. When the community grows and utilizes air service then the airport grows. We are hopeful that AESC will bring in more business and leisure travel to Florence Regional Airport."
The largest economic development project ever for northeast South Carolina broke ground today.
The massive Japanese battery plant will be right across the street from Wilson High School in Florence.
This massive plant is a massive win for Florence County.
Both the governor and secretary of commerce were here to celebrate what this means not only to the local economy but all of South Carolina.
This 1.5 million square foot plant is about 9 times the size of Wilson High School.
It will bring in more than 1,100 jobs with an average salary of $65,000 dollars.
Construction will begin next week on the 1.5 million square foot plant with batteries hopefully coming out of the factory by the end of 2025.
However, South Carolina has no plans on stopping there.
“This states’ statement that it is part of the transformation of the automobile industry into the future and that is an incredible thing. The automobile industry is going through its biggest transformation in over 100 years,” said Harry Lightsey, Secretary of Commerce.
The company AESC will be supplying BMW with batteries from the plant, and they also don’t plan on stopping there and envision this as a potential industrial park.
“There is a lot of interest in our product in the US and we are already making plans to expand here, but I believe with us being located here and the scale of our factory it will also attract a lot of suppliers nearby our site as well,” Jeff Deaton, Managing Director, AESC US.
The governor says it's all part of his plan.
South Carolina held the first-ever electric vehicle summit in the United States.
Now the Palmetto State has a task force for recruiting electric vehicle projects.
There's even an electric power summit this Friday, but McMaster says there are three things he plans to focus on to keep South Carolina growing and beautiful; education, the environment, and the economy.
“If one’s missing the other two can’t hold it up. So keep your eyes on what’s happening. We have a beautiful state. We’ve been blessed with a cultural and natural heritage that no other state can even touch and we are going to protect that all, while at the same time, we are going to push this economy,” said Governor Henry McMaster.
This lot for AESC is about 500 acres.
The plant will take up about a third of that.
That means there are over 300 acres to still expand upon, which will be huge for Florence County.
This is a place that’s near and dear to the heart of the governor.
Both his parents are from Florence and always considered it home.
He was also excited about the opportunities for the high school students across the street at Wilson High School, where they have a STEM program.
It’s programs like that and technical colleges that the Governor says will attract more jobs and more money.
“Millions of dollars are going into this; billions of dollars! And these jobs are all career-type jobs. They are strong jobs and they are well-paid. They require some training and some education. Fortunately, with our technical college system with schools like Francis Marion University we can provide all that,” said Governor McMaster.
The governor also says he plans to ensure that South Carolina stays beautiful making sure new factories don’t pollute rivers or destroy forests.
“We want to be able to fish and hunt and all those kinds of things, and walk in the woods. Now ladies and gentlemen if you can’t find peace and happiness in the forests and fields of South Carolina, then you’re just going to have to wait until you get to heaven because there is nowhere else on earth like this place right here,” said Governor McMaster.