Ground-breaking at Speedway Industrial & Technology Park

EASLEY — Two companies are bringing their business to Easley at the site of the new industrial park at the Greenville Pickens Speedway — but despite the $63 million dollar investment and the 200-plus jobs these companies will bring — the question on everyone’s mind is: “What about the track?”

ElringKlinger Group (ElringKlinger), an automotive supplier, announced on Monday they had selected Pickens County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation. The $40.3 million investment will create 115 new jobs, company officials said.

Headquartered in Germany, ElringKlinger focuses on two growth markets: the electrification of mobility and the advancement of the hydrogen economy. Company officials said ElringKlinger positioned itself for both markets at an early stage based on its core competencies – cutting-edge battery and fuel cell technology, related components and assemblies for engines, and the chassis of a car, including plastic housing and metallic stamped and molded parts. The company currently operates 44 manufacturing sites worldwide.

“The new site in Pickens County is the next step for ElringKlinger in the implementation of its SHAPE30 transformation strategy,” said ElringKlinger Group CEO Thomas Jessulat. “The American market generally offers great potential for battery technology applications. When it comes to unlocking this potential, the U.S. state of South Carolina is an optimal starting point for establishing the Group’s Battery Center Americas.”

ElringKlinger will manufacture electric battery cell contacting systems at its new 226,000-square-foot facility located at 3800 Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley. Cell contacting systems are crucial components of a battery system that connect the individual cells and make the energy available to the drive system. The new operation will become the company’s main U.S. hub for developing and manufacturing battery products, they said.

Operations are expected to be online in mid-2025.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project. The council also awarded a $750,000 Set-Aside grant to Pickens County to assist with the costs of site preparation, building construction and road improvements.

“Pickens County’s workforce, including the Scholar Technicians from our Pickens County Career and Technology Center, are a perfect match for ElringKlinger’s high manufacturing standards and cutting-edge technology,” said Pickens County Council Chairman Chris Bowers. “We are excited to welcome ElringKlinger and its 115 valuable jobs to the Easley area where we are poised to thrive together for years to come.”

On June 20, Carolina Handling, a material handling systems integrator, announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new operation in Pickens County. The company’s $23.2 million investment will create 100 new jobs in the next five years, according to company officials.

Carolina Handling will consolidate its four Upstate South Carolina distribution and logistics operations into a 267,000-square-foot facility in the Speedway Industrial & Technology Park. The new operation will house a warehouse, training facility, office space and customer experience center.

“We are proud Carolina Handling chose Pickens County as the perfect location for their $23 million investment and eagerly anticipate the positive impact of the 100 new jobs created through this operation,” said Bowers. “This announcement highlights Pickens County’s potential, the attractiveness of our community and the desirableness of our highly skilled local workforce. We welcome Carolina Handling and remain committed to creating an environment where businesses can succeed, and our residents can thrive.”

Established in 1966, Carolina Handling develops strategic solutions to increase supply chain efficiency. The company sells and services Raymond brand forklifts and warehouse equipment and offers design, engineering and implementation services to improve safety and efficiency.

“Carolina Handling has experienced extraordinary growth in the past few years, and we expect that trend to continue in 2024 and beyond,” said Carolina Handling President and CEO Brent Hillabrand. “The location, size and features of our new facility at Speedway Industrial & Technology Park in Pickens County will position us for future growth as we continue our evolution from a forklift-only provider to an integrated material handling solutions company. And it will allow us to realize large economies of scale by bringing our operations across the Upstate region of South Carolina under one roof.”

Operations are expected to be online in spring 2025.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $250,000 Set-Aside grant to Pickens County to assist with the costs of site preparation and building construction.

Despite the two announcements coming less than a week apart, Realtors, CEO’s, state and county leaders have all said the industrial park and the Greenville-Pickens Speedway can co-exist.

“We are looking for someone to invest in this track,” Bowers said. “The track is not dead, it’s not over. They can co-exist. We can have an industrial park here and we can have a racetrack here.”

The Greenville Pickens Speedway first opened as a dirt track in 1940 but closed the following year due to WWII. It reopened on July 4, 1946 and hosted both automobile and horse racing. NASCAR began racing the track in 1955 and in 1970, asphalt replaced the dirt (and the horses.) On April 10, 1971, ABC Wide World of Sports nationally televised a race from start to finish at the Speedway. It was the first full NASCAR race broadcasted in the US.

In all, the track held 28 races on the NASCAR Grand National tour between 1955 until 1971. It also hosted two NASCAR Busch Grand National (now Xfinity Series) tour races in 1983.

The last NASCAR Grand National race was held at the track in 1971, when NASCAR began cutting small tracks from its schedule.

In addition to the speedway’s storied NASCAR history, the track has been the home of the Upper S.C. State Fair since 1964.