At the top of the SOPAKCO’s Web site is the catch phrase, “The taste of things to come.”
That’s a snappy little slogan for a company that produces prepared meals that are ready to eat. And, appropriately, a company that puts food on tables across the country is helping to provide sustenance for families in our community by creating new jobs and improving the local economy.
Earlier this month, SOPAKCO announced the opening of its new food processing and packaging facility, representing a $10 million investment. The 200,000 square-foot facility, located in Mullins, will employ more than 80 people when operating at full capacity, company officials say.
With the announcement, SOPAKCO now has three production facilities – two in Mullins and another in Bennettsville – in South Carolina along with warehouses in Mullins, Tennessee and Nevada.
SOPAKCO is among the world’s three largest producers of meals that are ready to eat and supplies food for the U.S. military. In a statement, SOPAKCO president Lonnie Thompson said the new facility marks the company’s commitment to South Carolina.
“This is a great place to do business,” Thompson said. “We have a committed workforce and our new multi-million dollar facility reflects our optimism for continued success.”
SOPAKCO’s announcement comes on the heels of the deal to secure a Boeing aircraft assembly plant in North Charleston. Both facilities will aid workers in South Carolina, which has one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates of 11.6 percent and where more than 250,000 residents are jobless.
In South Carolina, unemployment has severely impacted our rural communities. Marion County, for example, logged the state’s third-highest unemployment rate for September at 21 percent, according to the S.C. Employment Security Commission. That’s up from the 15.4 percent unemployment rate reported for the same time last year.
Chester County had the state’s second-highest unemployment rate in September of 21.1 percent, up from 12.7 percent a year ago. Other rural communities across the state are similarly affected.
With SOPAKCO’s expansion, along with the recent Boeing deal, it is my hope that these recent announcements mark the beginning of a new era of hope and prosperity for our state. And, that, indeed, this is a taste of things to come.
Contact Sen. Williams at his Columbia office located at 602 Gressette Office Building at (803) 212-6008 or by fax at (803) 212-6011. His district office is located at 137 Airport Road, Suite J, Mullins, SC 29574, the phone number is (843) 423-8237 and the fax number is (843) 431-6049 or email WILLIAMSK@scsenate.org.
Sen. Williams’ business phone is (843) 423-3904.
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