Berkeley County lands historic $3.5B investment

Berkeley County is excited to announce that Redwood Materials will be locating in Camp Hall to construct a battery recycling plant. The $3.5 billion investment includes bringing 1,500 jobs and is the largest industrial project to come to the state of South Carolina and that speaks to the value of the business climate in South Carolina – and specifically Berkeley County. 

 

Redwood captures recycled materials from everyday batteries ranging from watches and cell phones to car batteries and everything in between. The process has evolved to one that can produce a new battery at a cost less than mining new materials to produce a battery and that margin continues to increase. 

 

When the county entertains a project we look intently at several major factors to include the availability and need for road and water infrastructure, impact on schools, demands on county government services to include public safety, the size of the investment, and how many jobs and what wages will be paid.   

 

This project addressed a critical need in our county by providing funds directly from Redwood Materials to finish the widening of Highway 176. Phase II funding was included in the county’s 2022 One-Cent Sales Tax Referendum with an unfunded estimate of $110M to complete Phase III.  

 

In our first 10 years, or sooner, the county will receive additional funds from Redwood (project) to complete the entirety of the 176 project a full seven to 10 years sooner than previously projected. The county has also received approximately $38 million from the state for sewer needs in a separate appropriation. Annual tax revenue, above and beyond any road funds, will exceed $9 million annually with approximately $5.7 million going to the school district and $3.3 million to county government with inflation escalators throughout the 30-year term. 

 

For example, with these funds, the school district could hire as many as 88 teachers and the county could hire up to 44 sheriff’s deputies/EMTs. The jobs are high-paying with entry level positions beginning at $27 an hour and a priority will be to hire local residents to build out their workforce with individuals being eligible for employment right out of high school.

 

Camp Hall is regarded as one of the top industrial sites in the United States due to many factors including: proximity to the Port of Charleston, availability of rail, proximity to I-26 and I-95, a dedicated interchange with adequate road infrastructure, and most importantly a workforce in close proximity that is valued and respected. 

 

Landing this project was a big effort by many and I can’t thank my colleagues at the County Council enough for making sure that Berkeley County received all the support and resources needed to provide critical services for our residents, while protecting and improving quality of life.