Crescent Dairy & Beverages LLC will be investing in a new ultra pasteurized beverage processing facility in Colleton County. The proposed investment is expected to exceed $30 million and anticipates generating 60 new jobs within the next five years.
“We are excited about moving forward with our plans of establishing operations in the eastern U.S. After close to one year of extensive research and exploration of the region, we are convinced that South Carolina and Colleton County will offer us a secure business environment that will guarantee solid progress which will contribute to our regional expansion,” said company representative Gabriel Pascual.
“The new location is ideal for serving not only eastern U.S. markets, but export markets as well, as the Port of Charleston provides ideal conditions to allow fast and constant flow of cargo to the region,” Pascual added. “We are also very appreciative of the professionalism and support received from all South Carolina and Colleton County state officials and representatives involved in the negotiating process; such was unparalleled when compared to other participating states and certainly made a difference for us to establish operations here.”
The new facilities will include state of the art processing equipment which will implement “ultra-high-temperature” (UHT) beverage processing. This type of processing allows beverages to have an extended shelf life without refrigeration until opened, and in many cases such a shelf life can exceed 12 months. The initial production output of the company is anticipated to be mainly for export markets expecting to make a cross-over move to U.S. markets gradually in the near future, company officials confirmed.
“Today’s announcement is another win for one of our state’s rural counties. We celebrate Crescent Dairy & Beverages’ decision to locate in Colleton County, invest $30 million and create 60 new jobs. By continuing to provide a business-friendly climate, we can help bring more job-creating investments like this one to all regions of South Carolina,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.
Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than $292 million in capital investment and more than 1,400 jobs in the agribusiness sector.
“The agribusiness sector has long been an important part of South Carolina’s economy and announcements like Crescent Dairy & Beverages’ today show it continues to create new jobs. Every one of these jobs will create impact in Colleton County and this investment will help sustain agribusiness in the area,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.
“This is another great example that agribusiness development is bringing new companies and more jobs to South Carolina. The industry continues to have a vital impact across the state, and Colleton County will benefit greatly from Crescent Dairy & Beverages’ new processing facility,” said South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers.
“We are very pleased to see Crescent Dairy & Beverages locate their facility here in Colleton County,” said Colleton County Council Chairman Evon Robinson. “It is good to see hard work and the investments made in education and infrastructure pay off for our community. This will certainly put a twinkle in the eye of Colleton County.”
“Crescent Dairy & Beverages’ investment in our region is an indication of the great location that Colleton County provides to industries looking for access to I-95 and proximity to the Port of Charleston. The people of Colleton County and their economic development team have fostered an environment to attract and grow manufacturing and distribution operations, and Crescent Dairy & Beverages will reap these benefits. We welcome the Crescent team, and we appreciate their investment in the community,” said Southern Carolina Alliance President and CEO Danny Black.
SelectUSA, the U.S. government-wide initiative to promote and facilitate business investment in the United States, housed at the U.S. Department of Commerce, partnered with the state of South Carolina in order to help facilitate the firm’s decision to locate in the United States.
Hiring information will be available by the beginning of 2013.
About S.C. Department of Commerce
As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing businesses grow. Commerce won the Gold Shovel Award and the Project of Year Award from Area Development magazine in 2012. Commerce has been part of recruiting world-class companies to South Carolina such as Boeing, Bridgestone, Continental, Monster.com, Heinz, ZF Group, BMW and Google Inc. Commerce also supports small and existing business, rural development initiatives and offers grants for community development. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.