Manufacturer to make $1 billion investment, bring in 124 jobs with new Midlands facility

A manufacturer plans to make a $1 billion investment and bring 124 jobs to Orangeburg County.

Birla Carbon, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality carbon additives, will open a facility in Orangeburg, according to a Tuesday release from Gov. Henry McMaster’s office. It will be the first South Carolina facility for Birla Carbon, which operates 17 plants in 14 countries.

Birla Carbon will build a 435,000-square-foot plant at the Tri-County Industrial site in Orangeburg, which will, according to the release, “serve as a next-generation, synthetic graphite continuous production facility.”

The initial phase of the project will reportedly produce 25,000 tons of synthetic graphite each year for the electric vehicle, energy storage and defense markets.

Per the release, Birla “will be providing education and internship opportunities to build a pipeline of employees, as well as childcare subsidies to help new parents work at the company’s facility.” The first jobs are slated to become available in 2025.

“Birla Carbon is excited to join the state of South Carolina in making this significant investment that will contribute to the growth of this critical industry domestically,” Birla Carbon CEO John Loudermilk said in a statement. “This plant is an investment in the future as the demand for electric vehicles and energy storage markets will only grow.”

McMaster touted the potential impact of the new industry for the state and the Midlands.

“South Carolina’s strong economy and pro-business climate continue to attract major investments for our state,” the governor said in a statement. “Birla Carbon’s substantial $1 billion investment and the 124 new jobs it will create will have a transformative impact in Orangeburg County, and we look forward to the company’s success in our state.”