A German company announced plans Thursday to build a plant in Laurens County that will employ 900 workers by 2015.
ZF Group in Friedrichshafen, Germany will invest $350 million to build a plant to produce fuel-efficient automatic transmissions for passenger cars and light trucks.
ZF expects to begin construction of its new, Laurens County facility in January.
Hiring is anticipated to begin in early 2012 for skilled positions that include CNC operators, assemblers, production and logistics.
Laurens County Council chairman Jim Coleman tells News Channel 7 that this is the largest single infusion of jobs in county history.
Coleman says 900 is just phase 1, and that eventually the plant is slated for as many as 1500 jobs.
A big part of ZF choosing Laurens had to do with the proximity to the 85 corridor and BMW. Also, the Owens Industrial Park, where the company plans to build is already certified and ready to go.
ZF already operates manufacturing facilities in South Carolina.
“We believe the increasing emphasis on fuel economy and our reputation for producing high-quality, fuel-efficient transmissions provide an unprecedented opportunity to grow our business. We believe this production facility could serve as a key driver of this growth,” says Dr. Gerhard Wagner, Group Executive of ZF's Car Driveline Division in a written statement.
South Carolina’s worker training program readySC will assist in the hiring process for the Lauren County facility. Information will be posted at sctechjobs.com when it’s available according to the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
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