It has been announced that Le Creuset, a French cookware manufacturer, will expand its facility in Hampton County, South Carolina. The $3.6 million investment is expected to generate 25 new jobs.

Le Creuset intends to add nearly 200,000 square feet to its existing distribution facility in Hampton County and expects to have the first 100,000 additional square feet completed by the first quarter of 2012, with the additional 100,000 square feet planned for 2013.

According to SCA Vice Chairman and Hampton Economic Development Commission Chairman DeThane Johnson, Le Creuset's international reputation and continued growth in the region are utilized in marketing the area.

The company first established its current 100,000-square-foot distribution center near Yemassee in 1997 for its access to the interstate as well as the ports of Savannah and Charleston. The company has had a presence in South Carolina since 1974.

"We have European and Canadian companies who have selected this area of South Carolina for both manufacturing and distribution," said Johnson. "The success of Le Creuset, in particular, is one of the reasons we are marketing a new mega-site adjacent to the Le Creuset facility, which has proven to be a great location for port and interstate access, as well as workforce. We are appreciative of Le Creuset's direct job creation, as well as the indirect benefits of having this internationally recognized company growing here."