Recycling biz plans 75 jobs in Charleston County - WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 - Charleston News, Sports, Weather

Recycling biz plans 75 jobs in Charleston County

COLUMBIA, S.C. –  PyroTec Inc. today announced plans to establish a new domestic and global corporate headquarters in Charleston County. The $10 million investment is expected to generate 75 new jobs.

PyroTec will recover component materials from waste and other feedstock and sell those materials. For example, its patented process extracts oil, carbon black, syngas and steel from scrap tires and those components are then sold to the open market as commodities.

"We are pleased to move forward with setting up our new operations in the Charleston area. South Carolina gives us an excellent business environment, and we look forward to growing our business here. We appreciate the support we've received from state and local officials," said John Burns, CEO of PyroTec.

The company meets 2012 EPA regulations, as well as California Clean Air requirements. Scrap tires are not the only feedstock PyroTec can use. Other items such as plastic bottles, textiles, lumber, garbage, oil sands and tar pits could also become feedstock for the company's operations.

"We celebrate PyroTec's decision to establish its new headquarters in South Carolina, and invest $10 million and create 75 new jobs in Charleston. Announcements like this show that we are on the right track with regards to economic development," said Gov. Nikki Haley.

PyroTec will locate its corporate headquarters in Fresh Fields Village on July 1. Additional announcements on future factory locations are expected in the coming weeks. The company will initially focus on extracting oil and other raw materials from plastics and tires.

"Today's announcement is the second this month we've had in the recycling-related sector. PyroTec's investment is another indication that our business-friendly climate and skilled workforce are attracting investments that create jobs," said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.

Since the beginning of 2010, Commerce has recruited more than $430 million in capital investment and more than 1,000 new jobs in the recycling-related sector.

"We congratulate PyroTec on their corporate relocation to the Kiawah Island area," said Charleston County Council Chairman Teddie Pryor. "This high-tech company will create a lot of excitement with their recycling technology and their business plans for the area. The company's efforts to find more and better ways to reclaim and recycle materials and create energy are nicely in sync with the similar goals of Charleston County's long-standing solid waste, recycling and conservation initiatives. We wish the company great success!"

"We are excited to welcome PyroTec to the Charleston region," said R.M. Singletary, Charleston Regional Development Alliance Board chairman. "The Port of Charleston, our community's distinctive quality of life, and our ready supply of highly-skilled workers were critical factors in PyroTec's decision to locate its headquarters here. The company will be an invaluable asset to our region."

The company is supported by two other South Carolina companies. TRC, located in Greenville, is the company's global environmental engineering consultant. Johnson Development, located in Spartanburg, is the company's business construction and land management consultants.

The company will begin hiring for the new positions in July. Anyone interested in job opportunities with the company should contact Management Recruiters of the Low Country at 843-628-5021. Alternatively, individuals interested in working for PyroTec as well as investors with questions concerning the company can contact Walter Hahne at 1-800-PyroTec .