$100 million facility to bring 250 jobs to Florence County

FLORENCE — The Pee Dee’s economy got a powerful jump start Tuesday with the announcement that Johnson Controls Inc. will build 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, announced during a ceremony at Florence-Darlington Technical College’s Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology.

“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.”

Headquartered 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 after Tuesday’s 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.”

State Sen. Hugh Leatherman of Florence said he was ecstatic to learn Florence will be home to a second Johnson Controls facility and said its the hard-working citizens of the Pee Dee that make economic recruitment efforts successful, even in these difficult economic times.

“This is a huge day for Florence County,” Leatherman said. “Economic recruiting is very competitive, especially right now. But in this case, I had a feeling Johnson Controls would choose to expand in Florence County, because they already have a plant here, and they know the caliber of the people of the Pee Dee.

“Back when they were looking to locate the first plant here, I told them South Carolinians were hardworking people who lived by ‘a day’s work for a day’s pay.’ And this time around, they (Johnson Controls officials) came back and said, ‘Senator, you were right. You’ve lived up to everything you ever promised us,’” he said. “And I can guarantee you the good people of South Carolina will continue to live up to every promise we make.”

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 by late 2010.

— Copy editor Traci Bridges can be reached at (843) 317-7325. Comment on this story at scnow.com.

About Johnson Controls

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Johnson Controls Inc. 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.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHNSON CONTROLS

Johnson Controls Inc. will hold a public meeting to discuss the new facility in greater detail.

Company officials will be on hand to answer questions and take feedback from members of the community.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. June 15 at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology on the Florence-Darlington Technical College campus.