Johnson Controls Inc. brings jobs to the Pee Dee

By Traci Bridges
Morning News
tbridges@florencenews.com

FLORENCE — Johnson Controls Inc. continues to jump-start the Pee Dee’s economy with a new automotive battery recycling facility in Florence County.

The new facility is expected to bring an initial capital investment of $100 million and 250 new jobs, Alex Molinaroli, president of Johnson Controls Power Solutions, said during the June ceremony at Florence-Darlington Technical College’s Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology.

AT A GLANCE

Name: Johnson Controls Inc.
Established: 1885
Address: 3046 Bill Crisp Drive, Florence
Florence plant manager: Sarah Caggiano
Specialty: Formation and distribution of automotive and marine batteries
Web: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com

“Each and every time you buy a new car battery and bring the old one in, 97 percent of the time, that battery makes it back to your vehicle. So it’s a very sustainable business. The proposed facility will be the most innovative battery recycling operation in the world,” Molinaroli said.

“I grew up in Charleston, and I graduated from USC. I know firsthand that South Carolinians care about hard work, giving back to their communities and protecting their natural environment,” he said. “We share those commitments. That’s why our company feels at home here.”

With headquarters in Milwaukee, Johnson Controls is the leading independent provider of hybrid battery systems and also a recognized leader in closed-loop, automotive battery recycling. It is a Fortune 100 diversified, multi-industrial company with 140,000 employees in 1,300 locations across six continents. Johnson Controls already provides more than 1,000 jobs in South Carolina through its existing distribution center in Florence and a manufacturing center in Oconee.

“In today’s prevailing winds of doom and gloom, it’s wonderful to get such wonderful news,” Florence County Council Chairman K.G. “Rusty” Smith said at the time of the announcement. “We’re very excited Johnson Controls has decided to continue and expand its work in Florence County. Challenging times present rewarding opportunities, and today is our reward.”

The new facility in Florence will be located on a 270-acre site on Paper Mill Road off U.S. 76, near the facilities of other local corporate leaders such as Roche Carolina, DuPont and Smurfit-Stone. The company plans to develop about 36 acres for its facility and parking, leaving the remaining acreage undeveloped. Portions of the site will be permanently protected through a conservation easement.

Molinaroli said Johnson Controls is committed to conservation and strives to go above and beyond when it comes to protecting the environment.

“All of our standards are at or above all environmental regulations,” he said. “We are committed to environmental responsibility, and we are committed to community involvement. We want to be the best corporate citizens we can be.”

Officials said they should have permits in place by the end of the summer and hope to break ground in early fall.

They plan to start the hiring process about six months after breaking ground and hope to be up and running later this year.