January 19, 2007
Firm breaks ground on $5M facility
By Jenny Hartley - Senior Reporter
NDIAN LAND - Kennametal Inc., a leading global supplier of tooling, engineered components and advanced materials, broke ground Tuesday on its newest facility in MacMillan Business Park on S.C. 160 in Indian Land.
 The new, 22,000-square-foot facility will be home to Kennametal customer service, human resources and sales functions, and is expected to bring 100 jobs to the region, including 70 transfers from the Charlotte area and 30 new jobs, said corporate relations representative Christina Reitano.
The building will be equipped with the latest computer technology and designed for future expansion, Reitano said.
Springland Inc., which owns the business park, is working with Forsite Development Inc. on the project. Reitano said the new facility, a $5 million investment, is slated to open in October.
"We are very excited to break ground on this new facility, which will become a key center of excellence leveraging our people, our processes and our technology to enhance our ability to serve and expand our business in North America," said Brian Rabe, director of Kennametal's global metalworking solutions and services group (MSSG) and corporate customer satisfaction. "This new center is one of many strategic investments that we are making globally to increase our competitiveness in the marketplace by enabling us to provide industry-leading products, service and technology to our customers and distribution partners."
Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) is a leading global supplier of tooling, engineered components and advanced materials consumed in production processes.
Companies producing everything from airframes to coal, from medical implants to oil wells, turbochargers and motorcycle parts recognize Kennametal for extraordinary contributions to their value chains, company officials said.
Customers buy more than $2.3 billion annually of Kennametal products and services - delivered by the company's 13,500 employees in more than 60 countries - with almost 50 percent of these revenues coming from outside the United States.
Company officials felt Indian Land would be a good location for a facility because they like the caliber of employees in the area.
"We feel the location is good for talent development," Reitano said. Incentives from the state were also a draw, she said.
"This is another positive example of a company benefiting from the many strengths of our business climate," said state Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor. "Kennametal has been a longtime manufacturer in the Upstate, and we look forward to furthering our relationship with Kennametal as they expand their presence in South Carolina."
County Councilman Rudy Carter, who attended the groundbreaking, said he was excited about the new facility being built in MacMillan Business Park.
He called it "another feather in our cap" for Lancaster County, but added the announcement will be just one of many during 2007.
"There seems to be a lot of interest in MacMillan, South Gate and Bailes Ridge," Carter said, referring to the different business and office parks already built in Indian Land or under construction. "It seems to be picking up."
For details about the company or the developer, go to www.kennametal.com and www.forsitedevelopment. com.
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