Summerville Plant Closing, 280 Jobs Lost

Caterpillar's Summerville manufacturing plant will close in 2014.

The plant employs 255 full-time and 25 temporary employees, according to Dorchester County Economic Development Director Jon Baggett. Summerville is one of three operations Caterpillar has in the state. The Summerville location received no economic incentives from Dorchester County. 

The Post and Courier reported the decision came Monday.

“Over the last few years, the company has worked to position the facility to be more competitive,” the Illinois-based company said in statement. “However, it has concluded that the Summerville facility is not viable as a long-term operation.”

Baggett said he feels this is less of a referendum on the county and more of a corporate decision.

"I don't think it speaks badly about the county, the region or our labor force," he told Patch.

According to Baggett, the company has reached out to the county's economic development team and with the state's Department of Employment and Workforce to help transition employees and find them employment elsewhere. 

"These are all highly skilled employees with a good track record for employment so they're going to be very marketable in the region," Baggett said.

Baggett and his team will begin marketing facility located in the Jedburg area at 175 McQueen Blvd. as soon as possible to find a new tenant. 

The facility is a general manufacturing facility owned by a private developer. It was originally built by Corning Cable Systems.