Westminster company plans nearly $30M machinery expansion

Tooling solutions supplier Sandvik Coromant is expanding operations in Oconee County. A $29.4 million investment will improve the company’s Westminster production facility, according to a news release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

Part of Sandvik, a global industrial engineering group, Sandvik Coromant produces carbide inserts and round tools used in the metal cutting industry. The company’s Oconee County operation manufactures more than 2,300 standard article and customized carbide inserts, the release stated.

“Oconee County has been our home since 2002,” Sandvik Coromant Production Unit Director Arun Pattanik said in the release. “ Sandvik Coromant’s Westminster site is the company’s state-of-the-art carbide manufacturing plant in North America and is known for its highly engaged, committed and passionate people.”

The investment will provide updated machinery and automation processes to the plant, which is in Westminster.

“We always want to make sure that we have the most current machinery and technology to serve our North American and global customers,” Pattanik said in the release. “This investment helps and supports the company’s long-term sustainability and strategic initiatives. We very much appreciate the local partnership with Oconee Economic Alliance and the support we get from the county and state. We look forward to our continued partnership and growth for both our company and the community.”

Operations will be phased in over four years.

“Oconee County is thrilled that Sandvik Coromant will be investing and growing its Westminster operation,” Oconee Economic Alliance President Jamie Gilbert said in the release. “They are one of our most respected manufacturers and have consistently exceeded their growth expectations in Oconee.”

The Swedish tool manufacturer announced in September 2021 that it would add another tools line in Westminster that would produce products such as end drills, mills and taps used in metal cutting.

Related: Tool manufacturer expands in Oconee County

“This expansion underscores Sandvik’s confidence in our community’s skilled workforce and robust economic environment,” State Sen. Thomas C. Alexander said in the release. “Since 2002, Sandvik has been a wonderful corporate citizen in Oconee County, and we look forward to the positive impact this investment will have in the future on local employment opportunities and economic growth in our region.”

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