Midlands Palmetto Pulse, January / February

NUCLEAR POWER

Antares Raises $96 Million in Series B Funding to Accelerate Nuclear Microreactor Development

Antares, an advanced nuclear energy startup, announced the close of its $96 million Series B funding round. The round was led by Shine Capital, with participation from Alt Capital, Caffeinated, FiftyThree Stations, Industrious, and other investors. The round consists of $71M in new equity capital and $25M in debt for equipment, factory build-out, and uranium procurement. Antares CEO Jordan Bramble said the new capital will fuel the company’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable nuclear power solutions.

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REAL ESTATE

All County Property Management Franchise Corp. Expands to Columbia, S.C. with New Franchisee Kenneth Lee and the Launch of All County Specialists Property Management

All County Property Management Franchise Corp. has announced the opening of its newest franchise office, All County Specialists Property Management, serving Columbia and the greater Midlands region. The location is led by entrepreneur Kenneth Lee, who brings a commitment to elevating residential property management standards in the area. All County Specialists Property Management will provide a suite of services, including tenant placement, rent collection, maintenance coordination, and full management solutions for single-family homes, condos, and small multifamily properties.

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RETAIL EXPANSION

SPOTLIGHT

Publix Super Markets is Coming to the BullStreet District

(Photo Courtesy of Publix Super Markets) dec.3

The BullStreet District, known as the region’s largest urban redevelopment project, has announced that national supermarket retailer Publix Super Markets will open its next downtown Columbia, South Carolina location in the BullStreet District. Located next to REI Co-Op, at Bull Street and Colonial Drive, the new store will enhance walkable access to groceries and everyday essentials for thousands of people who live, work, and visit downtown Columbia. Groundbreaking for the new Publix is slated for summer 2026.

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CONSTRUCTION

Mashburn Construction Completes Multiple MUSC Projects in Orangeburg

Mashburn Construction completed three transformative projects for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Within the MUSC Orangeburg Medical Arts Building, Mashburn is nearing completion on an interior upfit of the second floor in partnership with Lillibridge Healthcare Services. Mashburn also partnered with MUHA and Stantec on the renovation of the hospital’s 2,500-square-foot Sterile Processing Department (SPD). At MUSC Health Orangeburg, designed by Array Architects, the 6,000-square-foot Empath Unit also underwent an overhaul of expanded services.

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MANUFACTURING

SODECIA AAPICO Joint Venture Selects Orangeburg County to Establish Its First South Carolina Operation

A SODECIA AAPICO joint venture announced it selected Orangeburg County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation to support Scout Motors. The company’s $120 million investment will create up to 392 jobs, according to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office. Officials said SODECIA and AAPICO – both family-owned, global automotive manufacturers – are combining the companies’ core strengths and innovative capabilities to manufacture advanced ladder frames.

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RETAIL EXPANSION

BJ's Wholesale Club Announces Openings of Three Clubs

BJ’s Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ) announced the opening of three new clubs in December. Clubs in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Sumter, South Carolina, opened on Dec. 12. The Casselberry, Florida, location opened on Dec 17. All three locations will feature on-site BJ’s Gas stations and potential extra savings through BJ’s Fuel Savers Program. The Springfield and Sumter gas stations opened in November. Each new club will support a local food bank with regular donations of produce, meat, dairy products, and more.

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MANUFACTURING

Portland Bolt Announces Major Expansion of Southeast Manufacturing Facility

Portland Bolt & Manufacturing Co., LLC, a leading domestic manufacturer and global provider of anchor bolts and Direct Tension Indicating (DTI) washers through its Applied Bolting Technology division, announced the completion of a significant expansion of its Southeast manufacturing facility. Officials said the North Augusta, South Carolina, location has grown from 25,000 square feet to 62,500 square feet, nearly tripling its footprint and enabling increased production capacity and improved lead times for customers across the Eastern United States.

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MANUFACTURING

SPOTLIGHT 

AGY Expands Aiken County Operations

(Photo Courtesy of AGY) Nov. 24

AGY, a manufacturer of specialty glass fibers, announced it is expanding its operations in Aiken County. The company’s $12.1 million investment will create 80 jobs, according to Gov. Henry McMaster's office. AGY is a leading innovator and manufacturer of specialty glass fiber reinforcements, enabling high-performance composite solutions for aviation, defense, electronics, architecture and telecommunications applications that are integral to civilian life and critical to the national security supply chain. Operations are expected to be online in the first quarter of 2026. The state's Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $200,000 Set-Aside grant to Aiken County to assist with the costs of building renovations.

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JOB CREATION

New Study Finds Restart of V.C. Summer Project Will Support 10,000 South Carolina Jobs

Westinghouse Electric Company released an independent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC (PwC) detailing the economic impact of completing the two partially built AP1000 advanced modular reactors at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, South Carolina. The study found that the construction phase of the V.C. Summer project can create more than $7.3 billion of gross domestic product (GDP) for the state, while supporting 7,300 high-paying South Carolina jobs annually. Once operational, the two AP1000 units at V.C. Summer would create an additional $1.6 billion of annual South Carolina GDP and support more than 2,700 jobs in the state annually over an 80-year lifetime.

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PAPER INDUSTRY

Eastover Chips, Inc. Establishes Operations in Richland County, SC

Eastover Chips, Inc. (Eastover Chips), a subsidiary of The Price Companies, announced it is establishing operations in Richland County. The company’s investment will create 27 jobs. The Price Companies is one of the country’s leading providers of sustainable services in the pulp and paper industry. Eastover Chips will construct a new wood chipping facility, located at 4001 McCords Ferry Road in Eastover, to serve the Sylvamo paper mill. Operations are expected to be online in the first quarter of 2026. 

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INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT

WiJo Pouches NA selects Lexington County to establish first North American operation

WiJo Pouches North America, Inc. (WiJo Pouches NA), a manufacturer of modern oral pouches headquartered in Sweden, announced it has selected Lexington County to establish the company's first North American manufacturing operation. The $13.5 million investment will create 170 jobs. WiJo Pouches NA will lease the 55,000-square-foot facility, located at 381 Burton Road in Lexington, to provide contract manufacturing for nicotine, caffeine, and functional pouches. Operations are expected to be online in March 2026.