Canada-Based Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc. plans to locate its first large-scale production operations in Colleton County, South Carolina. The facility, which will manufacture compostable food service trays, represents a $70 million investment and is expected to create 368 new jobs over the next five years.

Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Evanesce replaced existing packaging technology with truly compostable, organic, sustainable alternatives. The company produces compostable packaging with considerations for strength, insulation and nesting capabilities but, more importantly, cost competitiveness to traditional solutions.

The operation in Walterboro, which will locate in the expandable 100,000-square-foot Colleton County Commerce Center Building, will focus on producing meat, seafood, vegetable and meal trays for the U.S. market. Tray production is expected to commence in early 2019.

As an incentive, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits, as well as a $1.5 million Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Colleton County to assist with the costs of the project.

“We spent considerable time assessing locations in a number of states and were impressed by the reception we received in South Carolina and, particularly, the interest displayed by Colleton County to accommodate us and work with us to locate there. We are very impressed with the many advantages, and our location directly on an Interstate 95 interchange is second to none,” said Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc. President & CEO Douglas Horne.

“South Carolina continues to attract industry leaders from across the globe, and today’s announcement by Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc. is yet another example of that. I offer this innovative company my congratulations and look forward to watching them thrive in the Palmetto State,” Governor Henry McMaster noted.

“Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc. joins the growing roster of cutting-edge manufacturers that have decided to call our state home. This announcement reflects a remarkable investment by the company in one of our state’s rural communities, and I look forward to watching them succeed in Walterboro for years to come,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

“Colleton County welcomes Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc., and we appreciate the new jobs and investment in our community. This innovative company has selected Walterboro as their new home because of our proximity to domestic and international markets and for our workforce, as many other companies do. We look forward to working with Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc. in the coming months and years,” Colleton County Council Chairman Dr. Joe Flowers explained.

“We are proud that Evanesce Packaging Solutions, Inc., a company dedicated to technology in sustainable solutions in food processing, has selected our region of South Carolina for their manufacturing facility. This state-of-the-art technology will not only bring hundreds of direct manufacturing jobs, but indirect jobs and investment to our communities as well. This fine company will be an asset to our industrial community,” SouthernCarolina Alliance Chairman Martin Sauls said.