State, county and local dignitaries were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of the plant, which brings 101 new jobs to South Carolina. Among the jobs created were maintenance and electrical staff, operations team members, and safety and quality team members. Nineteen of the manufacturing lead operators completed a 12-week training program at ESAB facilities around the world.
“We believe that we will continue to see steady growth in the North American market, and this move to Union County represents an increase in production capacity and the transfer of lines that were being manufactured overseas,” saidSue Bartholomew, ESAB global marketing director.
This site will house the production of ESAB’s high-performance MIG and submerged arc welding wires. Two new production lines of the company’s premium brand AristoRod and copper-coated wires will be housed at the facility.
While the Midway Drive plant was built in the 1970s, ESAB invested millions of dollars to refit the building, Bartholomew said. New power distribution and piping and a complete fume collection system were among the improvements. The fire suppression infrastructure was upgraded, and the office has been remodeled and equipped with new furnishings. New lab and material handling equipment was installed, and the interior was painted.
