Chinese tire maker Wanli has put its plans for a $1 billion tire plant in Orangeburg County on hold. Development officials had hoped it would create 1,200 jobs in the county.
Orangeburg County Development Commission Chairman Ken Middleton said Tuesday the project is not dead but the as-yet-unidentified site planned for Wanli is being shown to other prospects.
“The official information that we have is that the project is on hold,” Middleton said of Wanli.
“It could resurface but the official stance of the development commission team is that we aren’t waiting on it, we are pressing forward,” Middleton said.
The companies looking at the site are not as big as Wanli but collectively are close, he said. “It could be a blessing in disguise -- not one mega plant but three smaller ones.”
Middleton said uncertainties regarding relations with China, trade and tariffs are likely factors in the Wanli decision.
“We can’t speak for the company,” he said. “All of those things matter.”
Middleton said Wanli is still wanted in Orangeburg.
“We would love to have them here,” he said.
He said the positives that attracted Wanli to Orangeburg County remain: location, the Charleston port and a regional work force.
“It could come back,” he said.
As big as the tire plant was projected to be, “We are not going to count on any one company,” Middleton said. To attract other prospects, “We are aggressively repurposing the site.”
Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright said, "We were all excited about the opportunity and hopefully it will come to fruition.
"At the same time we can't control world politics."
"We have to keep our fingers crossed and stay prayerful," he said. "We need to keep pushing for other projects and keep moving forward."
Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said it’s not uncommon for a project to take a long time to develop, especially when it comes to large Chinese projects.
For example, Robinson pointed to China Jushi's plans to invest $300 million in Richland County and create 400 new jobs. He noted the fiberglass manufacturer has taken years to materialize.
"Chinese culture and projects can take a long time, especially with a state-owned entity rather than a private sector," he said. "Large projects are like large aircraft. They don't move as fast as smaller, more agile projects."
Robinson said all projects “ebb and flow through the life cycle.”
"In general there comes a time when the lines in the sand are drawn and you have to make decisions and if decisions are not made, projects can be placed on hold or they can be reborn too," Robinson said. "We have some geopolitical influences that are impacting our trade and we will be patient but will not stop showing Orangeburg County as a viable location for a mega project."
Middleton said the Wanli developments illustrate why officials are cautious in providing information about companies and projects until all details are finalized. The OCDC has steered clear of offering specifics on any Wanli plans in Orangeburg County.
“This is why members of the development commission are so guarded when the word is that something is coming,” Middleton said. “If it doesn’t come from us, then there’s still some degree of possibly that it may not come.”
Robinson said he remains confident of the county's future success.
"I have close to $1 billion worth of projects in the pipeline," he said. "I am very bullish on our economic opportunity as long as the economy stays on the current path."
He declined any comment on the projects.
Wanli’s plans became public June 5, 2017, when South Carolina’s Joint Bond Review Committee announced it would consider issuing $40.5 million in bonds to assist in site development, a rail line and roads. The committee approved the package the next day.
"At this time, the state has taken no official action to rescind the previous authorization," South Carolina Department of Commerce spokeswoman Adrienne Fairwell said when asked about the status of the $40.5 million.
Wanli announced via press release nearly a year ago that it had selected Orangeburg County, citing a central location on the East Coast and its available workforce.
Vanlead Group Co., which is the parent company of Wanli Tire, said the region's “solid industrial foundations, strong scientific strength and highly efficient labor forces” are reasons for locating here.
The company also cited the state's central location on the Atlantic Coast and its more than 200 auto parts makers as instrumental in its decision.
