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Strong industrial investment. Commitment to conservation. Perseverance through teamwork.

Those were the top themes voiced by DuPont officials, along with state and local leaders who gathered Thursday, July 28 to celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony for DuPont’s newest investment in Berkeley County: the launch of its new Liveo™ healthcare product line, which began last year. This roughly $20 million investment resulted in 25 new employees and will create another 25 jobs in the near future.

DuPont began operating in Berkeley County more than 46 years ago, with operations first beginning in 1976. In 2017, the DuPont Cooper River site shuttered the Kelvar facility after just a few years of operations. The company decided to repurpose the facility by expanding the Hytrel™ operations and adding Molykote™ and Liveo™ production to the Cooper River site.  

Life sciences and biotechnology innovation is a growing sector across the County and State, with an annual economic impact exceeding $11 billion and 40,000 jobs in South Carolina. Berkeley County alone has more than 25 life science industries—adding another one (DuPont’s investment) to that list today.

“This plant, the DuPont name, is known all over the world. It’s a great company that started long ago. …It’s thriving and people are thriving with it. …This is a big moment; it’s an important moment.” -Governor Henry McMaster  

The DuPont Cooper River site sits on a former rice plantation—Dean Hall—dating back to 1725. DuPont has been an integral community ally, helping the County relocate the historic Nesbit House from the company’s property to where it now sits in Moncks Corner. More recently, DuPont donated land to the County to further expand the parking area at the Cypress Gardens Boat Landing site. DuPont also supported the County’s reopening of its popular Cypress Gardens park after severe flood damage.

The Cooper River Site is a well-balanced industrial park with over 2,100 acres, only 200 of which are currently developed. Over 1,200 acres are set aside for conservation in a conservation easement with Lord Berkeley Land Trust, of which 800 acres are wetlands, and 925 acres are managed for wildlife. 

“Forty-six years in Berkeley County is absolutely incredible; and DuPont’s expansion and existence here means so much to us. As a County, we are growing at a tremendous rate, and we’re both blessed and challenged by that growth; but at the same time, we want to protect what we hold dear so conservation and preservation efforts are at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. This campus is a shining example in that nearly 60-percent of the campus is protected under a conservation easement with Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust. Aside from this, Dupont has been a generous community partner and we appreciate their past and continued support for the Cypress Gardens Park and Landing.  Their recent donation of over five acres of land allowed us to expand an overwhelmed boat landing from 35 total parking spaces to 145 spaces.  Dupont is a shining example of Industry and Government working together for those we serve and represent.” -Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb

“We had such great cooperation, first from our community, and really appreciate the strong support from the State, the County, the local government but also from our construction partners.” -John Singer, VP, Integrated Operations – Electronics & Industrial, DuPont

“This is really a testament to the commitment that we have with Cooper River…and really this is just the first in a series of investments in Cooper River. This will make this a central part of our manufacturing network for high performance and high quality healthcare materials.” -Sam Ponzo, VP / General Manager for Industrial Solutions for Electronics and Industrial Businesses, DuPont

“We are a global leader in healthcare solution products and now we’re (working) to increase our capacity and find alternative locations. …This is a very special customer set of people that really need help to cure…from diseases” -Eugenio Taccalino, Global Business Director for Healthcare and Specialty Lubricants, DuPont

“Being selected as the second dedicated healthcare site is indeed an honor and a reflection of our team’s track record of dedication, ownership, and commitment to our Core Values and excellence in meeting customers’ needs.  Thanks to collaboration between the DuPont team and our contractor partners, the Cooper River site was completed within 17 months – on time, on budget, and without a single recordable safety incident.” -Bill Alexander, Cooper River Site Leader, DuPont

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