Area Development
Ithaca Gun Company, a firearms manufacturer, will invest $6.7 million to expand its manufacturing to the Myrtle Beach area, with plans to construct a new 20,000-square-foot facility at Horry County’s Cool Springs Business Park located near Aynor, South Carolina.

The firm plans, hire machine operators, gunsmiths, engineers and assemblers, creating 120 jobs. Production is expected to be underway in 2014.

“Ithaca Gun Company is excited about locating to Horry County,” said Mike Farrell, COO of Ithaca Gun Company. “We have received great support from the state and the local officials to make this happen. South Carolina offers us the right mix of business-friendly climate, a steady workforce with training opportunities and an excellent quality of life we were looking for in establishing a new facility.”

According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce factors that contributed to the company’s site selection included the quantity and quality of the area labor force, proximity to technical colleges for training workers in Conway and Florence and quality of life.

“South Carolina continues to recruit manufacturing jobs to our state. We welcome Ithaca Gun Company to Horry County, and applaud their decision to invest over $6 million and create 120 new jobs along the Grand Strand,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.

Bringing this project to the state involved coordination between the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation, North Eastern Strategic Alliance, the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology located in Florence, Horry County Council, Santee Cooper, the Horry County legislative delegation and Horry-Georgetown Technical College.