Area Development
James Hardie Building Products, Inc., a leading building materials company, is resuming operations at its idled manufacturing facility in Dorchester County, South Carolina. The company will be investing at least $15 million in renovation and improvements, creating 100 new jobs.

James Hardie, whose corporate roots go back more than a century, is a world-leading, specialized manufacturer of numerous types of fiber cement products with a range of applications having performance and design advantages. From external siding, trim and panels to interior floor and tile underlay, the company’s products are sold in markets around the world.

Located at 152 Belgium Way in Summerville, the company’s refurbished manufacturing facility will produce exterior fiber cement siding and backer board for internal applications, and should be fully operational later this year. As an incentive, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project.

“We are very pleased to be able to announce today that we are reopening our manufacturing plant in Summerville. We continue to take steps to increase our manufacturing capacity across our entire network, and our Summerville plant is an important part of this corporate initiative. We appreciate how engaged all state and local representatives have been, and our partnership is something we anticipate will continue to grow in the coming years,” said James Hardie CEO Louis Gries.

“We’re proud any time a company decides to locate or expand its business in South Carolina, but when a company decides to renew its commitment to our people, it shows that we are on the verge of great prosperity. I congratulate James Hardie Building Products on this tremendous project and wish them continued success,” said Governor Henry McMaster.

“We are very pleased to welcome the growing of James Hardie Building Products in Dorchester County. With a hot local economy, their reopening is a testament to Dorchester County’s commitment to business development locally. These jobs will provide high wages locally for our community and citizens, while continuing to make our county a great place to live, work and play,” said Dorchester County Council Chairman Jay Byars.