Area Development
A Portugal-based industrial company, Portucel, S.A., will invest $110 million to open a manufacturing plant, which will convert forest matter into wood pellets, in Greenwood, South Carolina. Its facility, which is expected to create 70 jobs, will be located in the Emerald Road Industrial Corridor and have a production capacity of 460 thousand tons per year once it is fully operational.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved a $150,000 grant to assist with the costs of road, site and infrastructure improvements as well as job development credits related to the project. “The Portucel Group is very pleased to announce the construction of its new, state-of-the-art wood pellet facility in Greenwood, South Carolina. Our facility will provide a renewable, sustainable source of energy for many thousands of electricity consumers for years to come, as well as jobs to many South Carolinians. We are extremely grateful to Governor Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the County of Greenwood for the warm welcome they have given our team during the lengthy evaluation and feasibility process through which this project matured. We are confident that we have found the right partners in South Carolina and that together we can provide a steady source of safe, reliable and renewable energy for the 21st century,” said Portucel Soporcel Group CEO Diogo da Silveira.

Recruiting foreign-based firms, like Portucel, S.A., to South Carolina is a critical part of our economic development strategy. Portucel’s decision to establish manufacturing operations in Greenwood County is great news for the local community and state as a whole,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

“Today’s announcement is a classic example of being ready to meet the needs of industry with quality sites and infrastructure. We congratulate Colombo Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of Portucel, S.A., on their decision to locate their first United States facility in Greenwood County on one of our certified sites and we look forward to having another international company in the community, “ Greenwood Partnership Alliance Chairman Rudy Powell explained.