INDUSTRY APPRECIATION DAK Americas to invest $54 million in building, machinery upgrades

A Calhoun County plastics manufacturer is planning to invest $54 million over the next five years in building and machinery upgrades to support its Sandy Run operations. DAK Americas LLC is making the investment for the general support of its operations as a whole, not for a particular project, DAK Americas spokesman Ricky Lane said.

The investment is projected to be more than $1 million a year with projected total investments of $54 million for the period of 2021-25. The investment comes on the heels of the creation of 75 new jobs at the site in 2021 when DAK "made strategic moves" to "replace similar rolls that had been being serviced for a number of years through contract jobs," Lane said. "This conversion from contract to full service allows for us to establish job progression and longevity to these rolls as careers with the opportunity for advancement vs. variable contract rolls," Lane said.

The 75 jobs have a pay scale ranging from $35,000 a year to $100,000 a year with an average pay scale of $47,000 a year, Lane said.

Calhoun County Council gave unanimous approval to a resolution amending a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with DAK Americas to extend the existing fee agreement with the company in its March meeting. "This is rolling over their existing fee for another five years," County Administrator John McLauchlin said. "DAK is our biggest employer in the county."

DAK purchased Carolina Eastman’s polyethylene terephthalate-manufacturing operations in Calhoun County in February 2011. PET is a plastic used in drink bottles and other packaging. The company employs about 430, according to the Central South Carolina Alliance. DAK Americas is an international resin producer in the Alpek Polyester Business group of companies.