Irmo-based Integrated Micro-Chromatography Systems Inc. (IMCS) will expand its operations in Richland County, S.C., investing $4.1 million and creating 31 new jobs over the next five years.
IMCS creates, manufactures and distributes next-generation biotechnology products and services for an array of clients, including clinical and forensic toxicology labs, academic research facilities, federal government agencies and health science companies.
“County Council is always eager to support growing businesses in Richland County, and it is especially exciting to watch a company like IMCS get its start here and achieve so much,” said Paul Livingston, chair of Richland County Council. “The investment and new jobs IMCS is bringing to our community will benefit our residents and are evidence of the type of success businesses can achieve here.”
To help encourage the company’s growth, County Council approved a special source revenue credit to reduce property taxes for IMCS by 35 percent over a period of 10 years.
“Over the past several years, IMCS has experienced considerable success as a part of the Richland County business community,” said IMCS Chief Executive Officer Andrew Lee. “The tax incentives provided by the County will allow us to continue investing in people, capital equipment and facilities to expand our company and increase economic development in the County.”
Role in Fighting COVID-19, Other Diseases
IMCS’ enzymes are used in drug testing labs, and drug discovery labs use the company’s micro separations products to discover antibodies that can be used to fight diseases such as COVID-19. IMCS is also using a federal grant to scale up production of new enzymes that will be used to make new therapeutic drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
In addition to its headquarters in Richland County, IMCS bought a second nearby facility in 2019 and anticipates purchasing a larger building in the County in the future. The latest expansion will allow IMCS to combine the existing facilities and support its growing health science portfolio, enabling delivery of its products and services to pharmaceutical companies worldwide.
“We were a USC IdeaLabs incubator company and have continued to grow in the County over the past seven years,” Lee said. “As we look to expand our operation to a third facility, it is only natural that we would want to do so here.”
The new investment and jobs will be split between IMCS’ Irmo headquarters and the new facility.
Founded in 2013 by three Ph.D. scientists from the University of South Carolina, IMCS began in the university’s technology incubator and now has 40 full-time employees, with 600 clients in every U.S. state and 15 countries.