Brazilian-based Inbra Chemical Co. officially announced in April it will open its first manufacturing facility in the United States in Orangeburg.
Inbra President Paulo Heininger described the company’s entry into the U.S. as a major step, saying Orangeburg is “an optimal location.”
"We are certain that the logistical and cost advantages of this project will enable us to improve our presence in the global market and, most important, benefit our current and future customers," Heininger said.
"It is very clear to us now that South Carolina is a pro-business state, and we look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation with the state and Orangeburg County officials as we continue to grow our business,” he said.
Inbra agreed to invest a minimum of $7.7 million and produce 14 jobs in Orangeburg over the next five years. The investment could reach $10 million, and as many as 20 jobs could be created.
Inbra purchased 21.51 acres from The Oaks at Highway 21 and Gulbrandsen Road. Court documents indicate the cost of the property was $258,000.
Operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2016.
"We look forward to the job creation and economic growth that this company will provide to Orangeburg County and its citizens," Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright Sr. said in a prepared statement.
"It is a real pleasure to welcome Inbra to Orangeburg County, 'the place where success is made,’" Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Kenneth Middleton said. "We always say, 'Teamwork makes the dream work.'"
Inbra was founded in October 1939 in Brazil. It made products for the textile industry and, with the innovation of PVC piping, Inbra began production of liquid and solid stabilizers using extracts from soybean oil and foaming agents.
The Orangeburg facility will specialize primarily in plasticizer production with a focus on the polyvinyl chloride market.
Of the 14 jobs Inbra will create, 10 are for skilled laborers, three are for unskilled work and one is for a sales position.
The company received a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive. The incentive allows companies to pay a fee instead of property taxes based on a 6 percent assessment ratio rather than the standard 10.5 percent.
Also, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $75,000 rural infrastructure fund grant to Orangeburg County to assist with the costs of real property improvements related to the project.
