COLUMBIA, S.C. – June 20, 2013 – EcoDual Inc., a leading provider of dual fuel conversion systems for heavy-duty, Class 8 trucks, announced today its plan to locate its new manufacturing facility in Beaufort County. The more than $13 million investment is expected to generate 307 new jobs over the next five years.
“We are excited about establishing our new manufacturing operations in Beaufort County,” said Anant Vashi, chief financial officer for EcoDual. “South Carolina offers EcoDual a fantastic business environment and an excellent talent pool to ensure we can meet our customers’ expectations. With the growth we are experiencing in our business, we are excited to plant deeper roots in the state. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from state and local officials.”
EcoDual develops proprietary dual fuel conversion systems that enable diesel trucks to operate on up to 60 percent natural gas, allowing truck fleet owners to reduce operating costs by utilizing the cleaner, U.S.-produced natural gas as a transportation fuel. The company is currently located in a temporary facility at 9 Pin Drop Lane in Beaufort. EcoDual will build a permanent facility in the Beaufort Commerce Park within the next 18 months.
“Today’s announcement is a big win for the Lowcountry and the state as a whole,” said Gov. Nikki Haley. “We celebrate EcoDual’s decision to invest more than $13 million and create 307 new jobs in Beaufort. Investments like this one have helped drive our state’s manufacturing growth and brought more well-paying jobs to our state.”
Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than $5 billion in capital investment and more than 8,000 jobs in the automotive-related sector.
“South Carolina’s automotive sector continues to grow with announcements like this one from EcoDual,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “Our success as a member of the automotive club has attracted job-creating investments from automotive-related companies for two decades.”
“We are very excited that EcoDual has chosen Beaufort County as their location and look forward to many successful years of business growth. It is a great time to welcome new, high-skill manufacturing to our region,” said Beaufort County Council Chairman Paul Sommerville.
The company will work with readySC on hiring and training workers. Qualified applicants should inquire about job opportunities at EcoDual by contacting careers@ecodual.com.
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits.
About EcoDual Inc.
EcoDual Inc. is an independent provider of patent pending, dual fuel conversion systems enabling existing heavy duty diesel trucks to substantially reduce fuel costs by operating on a combination of diesel and natural gas. In dual fuel operation, the trucks maintain full torque and power with no loss of miles per gallon. Systems can be configured to accommodate the range requirements of most fleets on either CNG or LNG. Equally important, there is no “range anxiety” with EcoDual systems as they automatically run on 100 percent diesel if the natural gas tank ever runs dry. For more information on EcoDual and its products, visit the company website: www.ecodual.com.
About S.C. Department of Commerce
As South Carolina’s leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing businesses grow. Commerce has recruited world-class companies to South Carolina such as Boeing, Bridgestone, Continental, Monster.com, Heinz, ZF Group, BMW and Google Inc. and also supports small and existing business, rural development initiatives and community development. Commerce partners with the S.C. Technical College System via readySC to support workforce training and recruiting, and with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, which provides worker training and employment opportunities within the state. South Carolina has been ranked first in attracting jobs through foreign investment by IBM-Plant Location International. The state won the Gold Shovel Award and the Project of Year Award from Area Development magazine in 2012. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com.