Good Traction in Lexington County Michelin has made a series of major investments in its operations in Lexington County, where it opened a facility in 1981. The tire maker, which has already invested more than $1 billion in its Lexington operations, is committing another $200 million to expand capacity at the facility for its high-performance passenger-car tires, an investment that will add 270 jobs. The company’s 1.2 million-square-foot passenger and light truck tire facility employs 1,360 people. An 825,000-square-foot earth-mover tire plant at the site employs another 475 people. Equipment for the latest expansion is expected to be installed by the first half of 2013.
Bigger Plant for Spartanburg County Draexlmaier Automotive of America is expanding its operations in Spartanburg County. The $22.35 million investment is expected to generate 150 new jobs over the next five years. An affiliate of the Dräxlmaier Group, Draexlmaier Automotive of America will upgrade its facility in Duncan to accommodate increased production. The investment includes a previously announced addition of a $10 million, 64,500-square-foot production building to the existing facility, as well as upgrades to the plant infrastructure and equipment. A Tier I supplier to the international automotive industry, Dräxlmaier manufactures premium interiors and plastic components at its Duncan site, which is also home to the company’s U.S. headquarters. Built in 1998, the facility has been expanded twice since then, the last time in 2005 when a new R&D wing was added to the existing building. The new production hall will expand the plant’s capacity by more than a third and house state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge technology for the assembly of vehicle interiors and components, including instrument panels, center consoles and door panels.
Calling on Greenville A provider of help-desk and customer support services geared to the higher education market has opened a facility in Greenville County. Perceptis Inc. says the center, in downtown Greenville, will create 200 new jobs over a five-year period. The company, founded in 2004, provides 24-hour-a-day support for IT, financial aid, human resources, recruitment, admissions, enrollment, retention, facilities and general switchboard. It services more than 100 institutions and 1.5 million end users.
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