Troy Kett (from left), Jeff Bennley and Luke Ray, all employees of M.B. Kahn Construction, work on the foundation for the Kronotex plant while officials tour the site. Construction of the first phase will include 360,000 square feet.[ Ron Cockerille/Staff

First tenant comes to park

SNELLING, S.C. - The four-year wait for laminated-flooring manufacturer Kronotex USA to put down roots in Barnwell County's South Carolina Advanced Technology Park was more than a little tense for Southern Carolina Alliance CEO Danny Black.

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Norman Voss: Kronotex USA president and CEO said the plant will eventually provide about 140 jobs in Barnwell County. Ron Cockerille/Staff

"We got worried," acknowledged Mr. Black, who heads the economic development group representing Barnwell, Allendale, Bamberg and Hampton counties.

The group invested about $15 million in infrastructure for the park while anxiously awaiting its first tenant.

"We didn't have any doubts, but we were worried,'' he said.

On Wednesday, Mr. Black could finally relax and smile, as representatives of the Switzerland-based company formally announced their arrival in Barnwell County, a predominantly rural jurisdiction that posted South Carolina's ninth-highest unemployment rate in June at 12.5 percent.

The company had pledged back in 2000 to build its first North American laminate-flooring plant in South Carolina, but post-Sept. 11, 2001, economic uncertainty and a shift in the market for manufactured wood products put expansion plans temporarily on hold.

Construction of the first 360,000 square feet of the plant began just more than a month ago. Another 360,000 square feet will be built in the second phase of construction next year.

"Good things come to those who wait,'' alliance Executive Vice President Walt Inabinet said.

Speaking to civic leaders, Kronotex USA President and CEO Norman Voss said the plant will provide 70 jobs initially and grow to about 140 by the end of the second phase.

By then, the company's investment in the plant will total about $135 million, Mr. Voss said.

The first production lines are scheduled to begin in February, with the second line's startup set for June.

"I am very proud of the quality of these jobs and the many indirect jobs we will create in South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Area; both immediately and over the long term," Mr. Voss said.

Southern Carolina Alliance members say they can realistically expect the plant to grow to match its counterparts in Europe, with more than a million square feet and 500 to 600 employees.

"This is our anchor tenant,'' Mr. Black said. "We see this as our BMW. There's going to be a cluster of other businesses that will be attracted by Kronotex."

Reach Stephen Gurr at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110 or stephen.gurr@augustachronicle.com.

Kronotex USA