Northeastern Technical College (NETC) and Harbor Freight Tools, Inc. have partnered to bring a new Warehouse Logistics Training Center to Marlboro County. The center will provide training to 80-120 residents in Marlboro County and surrounding areas annually. NETC hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Marlboro Campus on July 29, 2020, to officially open the new training facility. Representatives from the South Carolina Department of Commerce and economic development from both Dillion and Marlboro Counties were in attendance. State and local elected officials also attended the ceremony, which was by invitation-only due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Harbor Freight Tools donated inventory, equipment, and software to stage a replica of their warehouses in Dillon at the Marlboro Campus. Students will be placed in a realistic work environment and exposed to the processes and flow of materials they will encounter while employed in the Dillon Center.

After completing the program, graduates will possess the skills to enter the workforce at Harbor Freight immediately through a paid internship program. Harbor Freight recently announced its starting pay for entry-level positions to $16/hour.
“As a family-owned company, we are committed to collaborating with partners in the community,” said Greg Elmore, Senior Director of Human Resources at Harbor Freight Tools.
“This partnership with NETC will help us build a work-ready workforce in the area.” Harbor Freight Tools is a privately held discount tool and equipment retailer, headquartered in California, which operates a chain of retail stores, web-based business, and several distribution centers, including a 2,000,000 square feet East Coast Center in Dillon, SC.
The company employs over 20,000 people in the United States and has 1,000 retail stores located in 48 states.
“Strategic partnerships like this are necessary to drive economic development in our community,” said Dr. Kyle Wagner, NETC President.
“Our residents benefit the most by having access to programs locally that lead to high paying jobs in this community.”
Northeastern Technical College prepares the workforce of Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon counties through education and training.
For more information on the Warehouse Logistics program at NETC, call (800) 921-7399 or visit www.netc.edu.