PrintPrintOne of the largest marketers of automotive replacement tires announced today that it has chosen a site in Berkeley County for a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center. The center will add a large customer to the Port of Charleston and provide construction and infrastructure jobs to the region. A top lawmaker said the move also could help attract other companies to the 400-acre industrial park near Jedburg.
Staff Report
Published Oct. 12, 2009
One of South Carolina’s top political leaders said that today’s announcement that TBC Corp. had chosen Berkeley County for a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center could have a dramatic positive impact on the state.
“The announcement by TBC is a win-win,” said Sen. Hugh K. Leatherman, R-Florence. “It is a win for the State Ports Authority, since the number of containers moving through our port will increase significantly. It is a win because it will be the first of many million square feet of distribution centers close to our port, which should encourage other companies to locate there. And it is a win for our dedicated workers who deserve opportunities to make a better life for their families.”
Leatherman, who has been a vocal opponent of efforts to deepen the harbor at the Port of Savannah, also touted this as a win over the state’s neighbor to the south.
“I am absolutely happy that I had an opportunity to work with my colleagues in the General Assembly to make sure that TBC Corp. came to South Carolina instead of the Port of Savannah,” he said.
Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said the landing of TBC Corp. in South Carolina demonstrated a team effort to bring jobs to the state.
“This is great news for the people of the Lowcountry and for the citizens of South Carolina,” McConnell said. “This was a great team effort of the public and private sectors, and I was pleased to be part of this team. This shows what we can do when we work together to bring investment and jobs to our state.”
As one of the largest users of the Port of Charleston, TBC expects to bring thousands of containers through the Port annually.
"This new business provides another anchor customer in the Port of Charleston and will support hundreds of jobs across the maritime industry," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the S.C. State Ports Authority.
TBC Corp. plans to occupy a distribution center to be developed in Rockefeller Group Foreign Trade Zone/Charleston, near the Interstate 26 and Jedburg Road interchange in Berkeley County.
The 400-acre industrial park is a joint venture of Rockefeller Group Development Corp. and MeadWestvaco Corp.’s Community Development and Land Management Group.
“We are excited about the opportunity to consolidate a portion of our distribution network to a new and larger facility in the Charleston area,” said Erik R. Olsen, president and CEO of TBC Wholesale Group. “The infrastructure and location of the Port of Charleston complements our growth and will allow us to meet the growing demands of our customers.”
The east coast distribution center will primarily support TBC’s wholesale operations.
In a joint statement from TBC and MeadWestvaco, the companies said the expansion will provide access to the deepwater Port of Charleston, which will allow TBC to receive products from international as well as domestic suppliers and help streamline supply chains.
In August, the Business Journal reported that Lowcountry economic development officials were in hot pursuit of the business deal dubbed Project Neptune that, if nabbed, would serve as the anchor tenant for a planned distribution park in Jedburg.
TBC also will immediately become the S.C. State Ports Authority’s fourth-largest business customer, said Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau.
“It’s a significant amount of volume” that would be imported through Charleston, he said.
The company also was looking at sites in Savannah, and Norfolk, Va., said Ken Seeger, president of MeadWestvaco’s Community Development and Land Management Group, which is based out of Summerville.
“We are excited to be a part of this team, which is bringing jobs to South Carolina,” said Jim Hill, vice president of MeadWestvaco’s Community Development and Land Management Group. “The construction of the building and roads will put local people back to work very soon.”
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