Staff Report
Published June 19, 2012

A coffee and tea distributor is opening a facility in Dorchester County and will use the Port of Charleston for its shipping needs, officials announced today.

Lollicup USA also manufactures Karat brand products, and paper and plastic disposable goods. The distribution facility will be the company’s first East Coast operations, and company officials expect it to create 40 jobs.

The company will begin operations in July at its 63,000-square-foot facility in Summerville.

Lollicup chose Dorchester County because of its closeness to Interstate 26 and the Port of Charleston, said Alan Yu, president and CEO of Lollicup.

“We’re pleased that Lollicup has selected the Port of Charleston to serve their first East Coast facility,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO for the S.C. State Ports Authority, in a news release. “South Carolina is ideal for distribution development, given our state’s proximity to key markets and access to world-class, deep-water port facilities.”