Sheriff's Department Warns of Current Scams

Though Anderson County is not yet experiencing a significant outbreak of the following fraudulent scams, based on information received from the National Sheriff’s Association, Sheriff John Skipper warns, “Citizens may be targeted with one or more of these particular scams.”

Lottery Fraud – The lottery con is the number one scam affecting citizens across the country and fraudsters involved in this scam often target senior citizens.  Keep in mind that legitimate lottery officials will NEVER ask you to wire money to pay taxes on lottery winnings, yet this is what fraudsters hope that you will do unwittingly.

To guard against any financial scam, DO NOT give out your Social Security number or any sensitive information to someone who claims to be from a bank, a credit-card company, or a store. If you are uncertain, tell the person you will call them back. Then call your bank or credit-card company using phone numbers you have on file. Do not rely on your phone’s caller ID display. 

Power Company Fraud - Fraudsters have developed a clever ruse to steal money from homeowners and small businesses across the county. Callers claim to be from your local power company and they pretend they’re calling to let you know that your account is delinquent and will be disconnected unless you pay the bill right away.  To help you quickly “fix” the issue, the caller recommends that you obtain a prepaid debit card from a local store and provide them with the card’s access information. The money, of course, is never applied to your account.  It goes straight into the scammers pockets.  To add credibility to their story, offenders often use “spoofing technology” that makes your phone’s caller ID display the name and phone number of the local utility company. 

Duke Power has launched a public awareness campaign in several of its service areas to help thwart this type of crime. They have indicated that they will never call and threaten immediate service disconnection, nor require customers to provide them with prepaid card information to satisfy a bill.

Medical Identity Fraud - Identity Theft is on the rise; but, so too is Medical Identity Theft.  Within the last year, it is up 20 percent according to a recent national survey.  This crime is popular with criminals because a medical record is actually more valuable (on the open market) than other forms of personal information; and medical identity theft can be perpetrated without your knowledge. It may be years, or decades later before you find out that your medical record has been changed, which could put you at great risk.

Fraud experts predict that the problem will get worse with the government-mandated use of electronic health records and as more people obtain coverage under the Affordable Care Act. 

To protect one’s self from this type of scam, the following actions are recommended:

Review your medical Explanation of Benefits (EOB) after each office visit or treatment. Ensure that your listed doctors and services performed are accurate.  If not, contact your insurer immediately.  After careful review, shred your EOB or file it in a secure location.

Obtain your “benefits request” annually.  Your insurer can provide a comprehensive list of benefits paid in your name.

To avoid unauthorized use, report lost or stolen health insurance ID cards to your insurer as soon as possible.

Be sure you are dealing with a reputable health-care provider.  Be cautious of free medical services. Fraudsters often use free services as a way to obtain personal information.

Review your credit reports annually and make sure they are free of any medical liens.  You have a right to request a free annual credit report from each of the three credit bureaus.

Telemarketing Scams - Telemarketing fraud often involves offers of free prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products, and inexpensive vacations.  It’s very difficult to get your money back if you’ve been cheated over the telephone.  Remember:

Always buy from familiar companies or check out unfamiliar companies with the local consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau, state attorney general’s office or the National Fraud Information Center.

Always ask for, and wait until you receive, written material about any offer or charity.  If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review the information.

Always obtain a salesperson’s name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number; and verify the accuracy of the information before you transact business. 

Computer Ransom-Ware Scam – Thousands of computer users across our nation are experiencing a new cybercrime. They find their computer screen frozen with an alarming message displayed across the screen. The message appears to be from a government agency claiming the user has accessed an unlawful website or committed other computer-access crimes.  The message demands money from the computer user or threatens that, if they fail to pay, the authorities will be notified and will lock them up.

To prevent this scam from attacking your computer, make sure all of your software, including antivirus programs, is updated regularly; do not open spam or email attachments from people you don’t know; and, avoid suspicious-looking websites.

If your computer does fall prey to this scam, the Sheriff’s Association recommends contacting Symantec Corporation, an American company which provides computer security and software solutions. Symantec offers a free, downloadable tool entitled Norton Power Eraser which can be used to restore your computer. The tool can be accessed at http://us.norton.com/support/DIY. You can also contact Symantec by calling (650) 527-8000. 

Other Scams – The following scams have also been reported around the nation:

In the door-to-door salesman scam, one person may try to sell you something while his associate asks to use your bathroom. But instead of using the bathroom, that person is looking through your bureau or desk for personal information or valuables.

In the home repair scam, workers look for your personal information or valuables while they are supposedly conducting home repairs.   

In the family emergency scam, a grandparent gets a call from someone claiming to be a grandchild who needs money wired to them, but doesn’t want the parents to find out. 

Citizens, especially seniors, are often hesitant to report these types of crimes, possibly due to embarrassment; but, these are legitimate acts of theft and should be reported as soon as possible to law enforcement to prevent others from experiencing the same type of scam.

Since January 1, 2013, the Sheriff’s Office has received over 400 reports of fraudulent activity; of these, 145 have been classified as scams.

S.C. Drivers Ranked Second-Worst in the Nation

South Carolina might be in the heart of NASCAR country, but the Palmetto State has the nation’s second-worst drivers.

The state ranked last in careless driving -- pedestrians and cyclists killed per 100,000 people, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compiled by the website carinsurancecomparison.com.

South Carolina landed next to the bottom in the percentage fatalities related to alcohol and fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

Only Louisiana ranked worse in the nation, according to the rankings that also included failure to obey traffic signals and wear seat belts and tickets.

South Carolina’s best category was failure to obey traffic signals and wear seat belts. The state ranked 29th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Vermont had the safest drivers based on the stats followed Utah, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Oregon.

Ranking of the country’s worst drivers:

1. Louisiana

2. South Carolina

3. Mississippi

4. Texas

5. Alabama

6. Florida

7. Missouri

8. North Carolina

9. Montana

10. North Dakota

11. Oklahoma

12. Nevada

13. Tennessee

14. Georgia

15. Pennsylvania

Read the full rankings here

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/12/16/3162253/sc-drivers-ranked-second-worst.html#storylink=cpy

Greenville News: China to Build Textile Plant in S.C.

Chinese textile company Keer Group has selected Lancaster County for its first facility outside of China, Gov. Nikki Haley’s office announced today.

The company’s $218 million investment is expected to create 501 jobs within five years, Haley’s office said..

“Keer’s commitment to our state is a strong testament to South Carolina’s pro-business environment and capable and ready workforce,” Haley said. “We welcome Keer to South Carolina and celebrate their $218 million investment that will create 501 jobs in Lancaster County.”

Keer will construct and operate a 230,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Indian Land, located in Lancaster County. There the company will produce industrial cotton yarn, taking advantage of South Carolina’s location within the heart of the nation’s cotton-producing region. Keer expects to break ground on the facility in early February.

“During our search, South Carolina quickly rose to the top of our list,” said Zhu Shan Qing, chairman of Keer Group. “We chose to locate our first U.S. facility in South Carolina for a number of reasons, which include the state’s workforce, proximity to cotton producers and access to the port. We look forward to a successful partnership with the state and the local community as we get this facility up and running during the next year.”

South Carolina leads the U.S. in foreign-affiliated job recruitment per capita according to IBM’s Global Location Trends report, and Chinese firms in particular represent an important and growing part of the state’s business community. From 2011 to 2013, China was the fourth highest nation in foreign-direct investment to South Carolina, behind Germany, Japan and France. In 2012, a record export year for the state with $25.3 billion in goods exported, China ranked third globally in receiving product from South Carolina.

“South Carolina has long been a strong player in both manufacturing and foreign-direct investment,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “Foreign-owned companies employ more than 100,000 South Carolinians today and are located in nearly every county. China represents an opportunity to continue that growth trend.”

Council to Look at Medshore Contract Friday

Anderson County Council will make a final decision on extending the ambulance service contract with Medishore as part of the final council meeting of the year Friday at 1 p.m. in the historic courthouse downtown.

Full Agenda Here

You Can Now Buy Nothing for the Person Who Has Everything

Everyone has one. That person on your holiday shopping list who is pretty much impossible to shop for (they either have everything or can afford everything), i.e. the bane of your already-stressed-out existence.

The creative (and clearly comedic) designers at Cub have a solution: The Gift Of Nothing, a transparent plastic sphere filled with, well, nothing.

“Nothing is precious. Nothing is simple. Nothing is sacred," the package reads, eliminating the need to even get said difficult recipient a card.

"Nothing" is sold via Amazon for $6, but we bet you could also find it at this Australian pop-up shop that was hawking bottles of sunshine, moonlight and air earlier this year.

Sen. Tim Scott Shares His Story with Youth Offenders

Sen. Tim Scott shared his life’s turnaround story with youth offenders Saturday.

Scott knew he could die one of two ways if he continued hanging out with a friend who dealt drugs when Scott was a teenager growing up in North Charleston, S.C.

“Either he was going to get me killed, or she would kill me,” the Republican U.S. senator said, referring to his disapproving mother during Saturday’s speech to 50 youth offenders in Columbia.

At the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice’s Midlands Evaluation Center in Columbia, Scott spent an hour telling teenagers who are just entering the legal system how he turned his life around. The Lowcountry businessman, who has risen quickly in politics in recent years, flunked out of high school and lacked direction – before he decided to stop being a victim.

“It didn’t just happen. It snuck up on me,” Scott said from the center’s basketball court. “I realized I was able to control my responses. I’m responsible for how I handle the challenges thrown my way.

“Instead of looking at the stuff that’s happening to me, I had to figure out all the stuff happening for me,” he added. “Everything that came to hurt me made me better.”

The senator told the offenders not everything works out at once: “I failed. But I learned if you fail, you can learn.” And he encouraged them to stay positive: “Remember, tomorrow is coming.”

Scott said he was lucky to find the strength to make the right choices when he was hanging with the wrong crowd, which happened in part after he rediscovered his religious faith.

“You can’t keep playing the game forever,” he said. “You’ll get caught. And if you don’t get caught, you’ll get shot. I’m not sure which is worse. And if you’re not caught or shot, you get to live with who you are.

“When you’re young, living with who you are – it seems cool and easy. … It’s not. The crap you do that you think you can get away with will come back to haunt you in a way that you’ll wish you got caught.”

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/12/15/4547643/sc-sen-tim-scott-shares-his-turnaround.html#.Uq7TsWRDthg#storylink=cpy

Tourism in S.C. Coming Back Strong

After years of struggling through the recession and its murky aftermath, tourism in the Palmetto State is on the rise again.

Hotel room sales, admissions to state parks and other tourism-related factors have now met and even surpassed pre-recession levels of 2007, according to reports by the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

The recovery mirrors the state's overall economic rebound. The University of South Carolina's economic outlook report released last week predicts job growth to increase by 1.7 percent next year. It also predicts growth in the state's key industries, including tourism.

New growth in the most popular tourist spots such as Charleston and Myrtle Beach signals that the state's tourism industry has not only made a comeback from the recession, but that South Carolina has become one of the top travel destinations in the region.

As one of the top industries in the state, tourism supports about 6 percent of the state's nonagricultural jobs, according to the state's Parks, Recreation and Tourism department. Plus, the state-imposed accommodations tax, or 7 percent sales tax on lodging, generates tens of millions of dollars in state revenue each year.

During the Great Recession that began in December 2007 and officially ended in June 2009, South Carolina saw a major drop-off in visitors and hotel sales. Many tourism professionals lost their jobs, and tax revenue fell until 2010, reports show.

Frank Fredericks, chairman of the Charleston Area Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, was appointed managing director of Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms in late 2007, just before the recession's effects set in.

"I think like for many folks, it snuck up on us," Fredericks said. "We suddenly saw the number of travelers falling off, and the rate people were willing to pay fell off."

The resort, like many across the country, had to learn to cut costs while increasing its visitors.

"Wild Dunes had to drastically reduce its staff," Fredericks said. "It was painful. When you have to lay people off, it's absolutely painful, but I'm happy we're past those days."

Wild Dunes was actually quicker to bounce back than some of the other resorts owned by its parent company, Destination Hotels and Resorts, Fredericks said.

He thinks the speedy recovery was in part driven by positive national media attention and by visitors brought to Charleston for weddings.

Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the outlook for tourism in Myrtle Beach reached a new low in 2008.

"We saw double-digit declines in 2008, but what was most alarming was the projections for 2009, which indicated that we could see a 20 to 30 percent drop," he said.

For many tourism professionals, 2013 was the bookend of a long road to recovery, said Duane Parrish, director of the state PRT.

Full Story Here

Opinion: Pope Confounds Political Conservatives in US

It’s one thing to say kind words about gay people and atheists while admonishing those who would bury them in stones.

It’s one thing to walk humbly and call the Catholic Church to compassion for the poor.

It’s one thing to kiss a horribly disfigured man from whom most people would run in disgust.

But apparently, it’s quite another to start calling out growing economic inequality and naive faith in capitalism. By doing just that in his recent encyclical, Pope Francis has touched a third rail in conservative American politics. So begins the backlash.

Yet in the new round of skirmishing around Francis and his supposedly “liberal” views, U.S. political pundits and news media wags — both progressive and conservative — are missing the point about the pope and what he’s up to. Their mistake? They see his words and deeds through the lens of American politics and ideology. What Francis is doing is prophetic, not political, and we should recognize that he’s playing, to his credit, in a whole different arena.

Many American conservatives have come to regard the Catholic hierarchy as their culture war ally. This pope is becoming something of a head-scratcher — and headache — for them now that he has spoken out against trickle-down economics and the fetishizing of free markets.

Too liberal, Sarah Palin said, while promising, uncharacteristically, to look into it further. Too political, Fox News’ Stuart Varney charged, claiming Francis had crossed the line. Too Marxist, Rush Limbaugh concluded: “Somebody has either written this for him or gotten to him.”

You might have heard some of the liberal cackling in response to all this conservative hand wringing. Progressive news media figures who could always be counted on to criticize, not applaud, the Catholic Church are sounding positively gleeful about the pope’s pronouncements and, more precisely, the conservative reaction.

“When Palin calls the pope too liberal, he’s probably doing something right,” wrote Allen Clifton on the Forward Progressives website. “A Progressive Pope is Driving the Wingnuts Batty,” declared a headline at the progressive Daily Kos.

Allow the progressives a moment to enjoy their adversaries’ discomfort. But before they start claiming Pope Francis as the standard bearer for the progressive movement, they ought to remind themselves of a few less enjoyable realities.

As observed by pundit E.J. Dionne – a liberal-leaning Catholic and unabashed Francis admirer — the pope is no liberal on abortion. Nor, despite his tone change on the matter of same-sex couples, has Francis come out in favor of gay marriage or ordination of women, or contraception. The day could come when progressive activists are no longer swooning over Francis but lamenting his “conservative” views on these and other liberal causes.

Which, one suspects, will be of little concern to this new face of the worldwide Catholic Church. To state what should be obvious, Francis is not a player in American politics. He’s not even American, for God’s sake. Growing up and pursuing his vocation in Argentina has no doubt had a profound effect on him.

Even more important, the pope is not a politician, a media loudmouth or an activist. He is a religious figure, wholly dedicated to representing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as he understands it to a world caught up in a thousand other things.

As conservative Catholic George Weigel writes, “Pope Francis is a revolutionary. The revolution he proposes, however, is not a matter of economic or political prescription, but a revolution in the self-understanding of the Catholic Church.”

Prophetic is probably the best word for the role the pope is playing — not in the sense of predicting the future, but of standing outside of business and politics as usual and speaking hard and inconvenient moral truths.

Has someone gotten to the pope, as Limbaugh suggests? Yes, actually. Jesus Christ apparently has. So when a news media figure such as Varney blasts Francis for wanting “to influence my politics,” one has to ask who’s really bringing politics to the discussion about Pope Francis. We’ll probably find the answer not in the Vatican but in the mirror.

Bill Would Raise S.C. Minimum Wage to $10 an Hour

The minimum wage would go up to $10 an hour in South Carolina if a bill prefiled in the South Carolina House becomes law. The minimum wage is now $7.25 an hour, which would translate to $15,080 for a full-time, year-round employee. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, filed the bill.

Supporters of a higher minimum wage say it needs to be raised just to keep up with inflation. In 1968, the federal minimum wage was $1.60 an hour, which would be $10.70 in 2013 dollars.

But critics say such a big increase would hurt businesses and the economy, since prices would go up on just about everything, and many of the same workers a higher minimum wage is designed to help would lose their jobs if businesses had to cut back.

Hoyt Wheeler, a distinguished professor emeritus of management at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, has studied and taught on the minimum wage and labor extensively. He says a higher minimum wage would actually help the state's economy.

"The economy depends upon demand, and people have more confidence and demand more goods when they have money to spend. And when you have more money in the hands of the people at the bottom of the economic scale they spend it, unlike others who might invest or save.  And so it really does good things for the economy," he says.

Full Story Here

State: S.C. Delegation Votes 4-3 Against Budget Compromise

The South Carolina congressional delegation in the House voted 4-3 against a two-year bipartisan federal budget plan on Thursday night.

The House approved the budget by a 332-94 margin.

Republicans Jeff Duncan, Trey Gowdy, Mick Mulvaney and Mark Sanford opposed the compromise -- even though the bill contained a gulf oil-drilling provision from Duncan.

Republicans Tom Rice and Joe Wilson sided with the delegation's only Democrat James Clyburn.

Here are statements issued by representatives Thursday night:

Duncan, R-Laurens: "I voted NO on the budget deal. We're governing through procrastination by not dealing with our debt problem today. A promise of future spending cuts doesn't mean much if Washington is just going to continue to punt this problem to our children and grandchildren."

Mulvaney, R-Indian Land: "I voted against the Ryan/Murray proposal today. Were there parts of this bill I liked? Yes. I can absolutely support federal worker pension reform. However, instead of using those modest savings to pay down our debt, this bill uses those savings to spend more money. It is difficult for me to vote for something that trades spending increases now for promised reductions in the future. The past promised spending reductions just never seem to pan out. It’s not unreasonable to believe we are making the exact same mistake now. It seems, yet again, that Washington cannot wean itself from its spending addiction Indeed, what we saw today is another example of how we got $17 trillion in debt: we can have lots of bipartisanship, as long as we spend more money."

Wilson, R-Springdale: “When I was elected to Congress, I promised to help make a difference. The status quo is not working. Government overspending while racking up trillion-dollar deficits is irresponsible, especially when we know that our children and grandchildren will be faced with the burden. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan was able to reduce spending from its current levels to help pay down our debt without raising taxes. ... Additionally, President Obama’s sequester, which targets the military, has already limited our Armed Forces’ abilities to protect themselves and defend our freedoms. ilitary installations across South Carolina and the Savannah River Site have faced challenges, which undermine our national security. ... I am very pleased that Chairman Ryan was successful in finding common-sense reforms to replace sequestration that will not place families at risk."

Rice, R-Myrtle BeachThe House-passed Budget agreement makes small reduction in our deficit, and replaces some of the sequester cuts with mandatory cuts. This is a small step in the right direction. If we are to make bigger steps Republicans have to win elections. The economy is poised to accelerate. The main thing holding it back is Washington. Showdowns every 3 months create a cloud of uncertainty. This is the first budget in years and I believe this will encourage businesses to invest and expand."

Sanford, R-Charleston: "While I appreciate that change in politics comes by degree, I think this deal comes up short. It sets federal spending levels for the next two years at just over $1 trillion per year – an increase of $63 billion from the levels Congress passed into law in 2011. Then it goes on to offset that higher spending by raising taxes. For instance, fees for airline travel will more than double from the current $5 per round trip to $11.20 per round trip. This provision, along with others, results in $63 billion in increased revenues for the government - which most of us would call $63 billion in higher taxes, given that it’s a transfer of money from the taxpayer’s pocket to Washington. ... I joined 32 other conservatives in sending a letter written by fellow South Carolina Representative Mick Mulvaney expressing our preference for a 'clean' budget agreement, or one that simply upholds current law. I believe Congress needs to preserve the small victories it has already made for financial discipline."

Meanwhile in the Senate, S.C. Republican Lindsey Graham said he would vote against the budget because it contains a one percent reduction in cost of living benefits for some military retirees:

"After careful review of the agreement, I believe it will do disproportionate harm to our military retirees. Our men and women in uniform have served admirably during some of our nation’s most troubling times. They deserve more from us in their retirement than this agreement provides."

Read more here

Anderson Screens "Honor Flight" WW II Documentary

For the past several years, communities across the country have been sending World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the war's memorial as a way to say thank you. Now a documentary chronicles that journey and Wednesday night it came to the Upstate. At Amstar 14 theater in Anderson, about 150 people came to watch "Honor Flight," a film that documents the trip through veterans’ eyes.

More than 60 years after the war, the courage and sacrifice of World War II veterans can be seen on the big screen in "Honor Flight."  The film's website said it’s about a community in the Midwest that came together to send four World War II veterans to see the memorial. Charles Brown, 12, heard about the film and he and his fellow Boy Scouts of Troop 205 brought the movie to Anderson.

“People don't get enough attention for what they did in the war and how they fought for us and what they went through for us to be free. So I think we should just acknowledge that,” Brown said.

The film touched those who saw it, including Gordon Chambers.

“I don't cry or shed tears easy, but I did tonight,” Chambers said.

Chambers was a Radarman 3rd Class who identified friend or foe through radar technology. A flying missile sunk his ship. Then he woke up in the water.  

“I just had a job to do and I did my best to do it,” Chambers laughed.

His 11-year-old great granddaughter, Audrey Burriss, said she'll never forget the film.

“All those people they fought for something they didn't even know they might not come back for. So, it really is something great,” Burriss said.

Burriss said she'll never forget what her great-granddad and others who served with him did for a nation and generations to come.

Honor Flight organizers said the next trip is expected to take off April 22 and this one will be the first time in the Upstate Korean War veterans will take the journey along with World War II veterans.

Read more and see video: http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/anderson-news/boy-scouts-bring-film-honoring-world-war-ii-veteranss-to-upstate/-/9654706/23442040/-/vxcb92z/-/index.html#ixzz2nLmSuc8M

Southwood Team Wins Statewide Stock Market Game

A team from Southwood Academy of the Arts in Anderson School District Five took top honors in the South Carolina Stock Market Game™ sponsored by SC Economics.

The Stock Market Game is a 10 week competition in which students in grades 4-12 are given a hypothetical $100,000 to invest in stocks and mutual funds on the US stock exchange. The students research companies, learn what it means to buy on margin and do all the trading on-line. There are two 10-week competitions, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester.

A team from Jennifer Nelson’s class at Southwood Academy of the Arts won first place in the middle school division of the fall competition with a portfolio totaling $123,791.70.  The team recognized the largest gains from shares in Apple, Amazon, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Tiffany and Co.  Team members included Destiny Donald, Amber Gilliam, and Madison Hudgens.

All winners in the stock market game, and other SC Economics competitions, will be recognized at an annual awards banquet on May 16 in Columbia.

Michelin Announces Opening of New Starr Facility

Greenville-based Michelin North America marked the opening today of its newest manufacturing facility in South Carolina.

The company’s executives and employees were joined by dozens of dignitaries from across the state to celebrate the milestone just 17 months after breaking ground on the Anderson County facility, which will produce large tires for earthmoving equipment.

The new facility, known as US10, is Michelin’s 19th in North America and ninth in the state.

It will produce large Earthmover tires — which can stand up to 13 feet tall and weigh up to 5.5 tons — for more than 1,300 mining operations around the world. Eighty percent of the tires manufactured at this facility will be exported, most of it through the Port of Charleston.

The new Earthmover tire plant is adjacent to Michelin’s existing rubber processing plant in Starr, and is the third Michelin plant in Anderson County. The company also operates a 2.5 million square foot rubber processing plant, the largest in the world, in Sandy Springs.

Michelin, South Carolina’s largest manufacturing employer, announced a $750 million investment in April 2012 to construct the 800,000 square foot facility and expand its existing Earthmover manufacturing plant in Lexington, S.C. Both projects have created hundreds of jobs and expect an additional several hundred in future years.

“Michelin continues to make investments in multiple countries around the world that will position our company for long-term growth,” said Pete Selleck, Michelin North America chairman and president. “It’s a source of pride to know that what we’re doing right here in South Carolina plays such an important role in our company’s global business strategy. It’s a testament to the business-friendly climate in the state and the dedicated, productive and skilled workforce that serves as the engine behind our success.”

Completion of the Anderson County facility is the fastest Greenfield construction in Michelin’s history and enables the company to begin production of commercially available tires in January 2014 for sale in mid-2014.

Full Story Here