$15 million investment expected to create at least 11 new jobs
To better serve customers in the automotive and aerospace sectors throughout the region, a commercial heat-treating company is committing at least $15 million to Greenville County.
Solar Atmospheres’ investment is expected to create 11 new jobs while establishing the company’s first operation in the Southeast. The company specializes in the vacuum heat-treating and brazing of metal parts
With an investment in excess of $15 million including building, property, new vacuum furnaces and a facility-wide closed-loop water-cooling system to ensure continuous uptime for customers, “this is a major expansion,” said Roger Jones, corporate president of Solar Atmospheres.
Operating out of 54,000 square feet of manufacturing space, Solar Atmosphere’s newest division is located on a 14-acre site south of Greenville near the intersection of I-85 and I-185.
Highlighting the business climate of both the state and Greenville County, Steve Prout, president of Solar Atmospheres Southeast, said the area was also selected because of its logistical convenience to current and prospective customers.
With hiring expected to begin in January, representatives of the company anticipate the facility to open by the end of the first quarter in 2015.
Currently, Solar Atmospheres has operations in three existing facilities in the United States including two in Pennsylvania and another in California. The heat-treating company serves more than 18 industries, including aerospace, medical, automotive and power generation.
The Upstate region is primed to support innovation and growth among cutting-edge partners serving the automotive and aerospace industries, said John Lummus, president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance.
The area is home to a growing array of research-driven, technically advanced organizations whose expertise continues to fuel the regional economy, he said.
“With this announcement we are once again proving that South Carolina is a place where businesses of all kinds can grow and succeed,” said Gov. Nikki Haley in a statement. “We celebrate Solar Atmospheres for choosing Greenville County for their new facility, bringing $15 million in investment and creating 11 new jobs for the area.”
Hiring will begin in January. Those interested in being a part of the new Solar Atmospheres Greenville team may visit the company’s careers page.
