GEORGETOWN — The U.S. arm of an Italian plumbing manufacturer plans to build a multimillion-dollar facility near Andrews and hire 48 workers.
Georgetown County Council on July 25 unanimously approved property tax breaks for Zilmet USA Corp. to use land at the county business park on U.S. Route 521. The company, which had been called “Project Hooper” before the deal was finalized, expects to begin operating in Georgetown County by 2025.
“We look forward to it,” Zilmet USA General Manager Scott Jacobsen said. “We’re very excited and we’re ready to go.”
Zilmet is an Italy-based manufacturer of various plumbing goods, including heat exchangers and mixing valves, but the company specializes in expansion tanks, which protect closed water systems from excessive pressure. The company’s manufacturing takes place near Venice, but it established itself in the U.S. in 2012 with a headquarters in North Kingstown, R.I.
County Economic Development Director Tiffany Harrison told the council on July 11 that the company expected to invest $32.7 million in the Georgetown County venture and create 48 jobs, each paying about $60,000 per year. The council gave its first vote in favor of a fee-in-lieu of tax agreement with Zilmet USA that same night.
Zilmet’s Jacobsen said the company chose Georgetown County after looking at sites throughout South Carolina and Virginia.
“South Carolina really stepped up to the plate,” Jacobsen said. “We looked at six different sites within South Carolina, and Georgetown, which was my personal favorite, also became the best business decision/solution for our company.”
Zilmet products currently sold in the U.S. are imported from Italy, but Jacobsen said the company has expanded to the point that it makes sense to begin a stateside manufacturing operation. The Georgetown County property will serve as the company’s North American headquarters and manufacturing hub, while Rhode Island will remain a distribution hub for the Northeast.
Jacobsen said he and most of his team will relocate to South Carolina, to which he has a personal connection. He married in Greenwood and his wife and son attended the University of South Carolina.
Companies must invest at least $2.5 million in South Carolina to be eligible for fee-in-lieu of tax agreements, according to the S.C. Department of Revenue. These agreements can allow companies to pay a fee that is 40 percent less than their expected property tax bill.
The council unanimously agreed to a partnership with Santee Electric Cooperative in August 2022 to develop the spec building being eyed by Zilmet USA. The facility is expected to be 100,000 square feet in size and expandable to 150,000 square feet.
The council also gave final approval on July 25 to the rezoning of a nearly 41-acre tract adjacent to the spec building. Harrison said that land would give the company room to expand.
Harrison said on July 11 that Zilmet expects the construction process to take 12-18 months, giving the facility a realistic opening date at least two years away. She did not comment on the council’s approval of the agreement after the July 25 vote, but said a county news release with further details is forthcoming.
Jacobsen said the company plans to close on the Georgetown County property on Aug. 2 and begin moving in equipment in October 2024, with manufacturing to begin in 2025.
Councilman Clint Elliott remarked on July 11 that he is not related to Vince Elliott, the owner of the rezoned 41-acre tract who plans to sell it to Georgetown County Development Holdings.
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