COLUMBIA, S.C. – Accent Stainless Steel, a Canadian manufacturer of craft and micro-brewing systems and other processing equipment, plans to expand into the U.S. with a new headquarters in Horry County.  The company’s $3.1 million investment is expected to create 65 new, high-skilled manufacturing jobs averaging $22 per hour, approximately 65 percent higher than Horry County’s current average wage.
 
Accent Stainless Steel specializes in manufacturing the Newlands Systems brand of brewing equipment and other stainless steel process equipment for the food and beverage, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries throughout the globe. The company will work with a real estate developer to construct and lease a new 50,000-square-foot facility in Horry County with plans to be open and operational by the end of 2014. 
 
As the micro-brewing industry continues to rapidly grow in North America, the company’s president and technical director, Brad McQuhae, saw this expansion as an opportunity to locate Accent Stainless Steel’s American headquarters and U.S. production closer to some of their biggest clients in that industry.  The expansion to the U.S. East Coast will generate significant logistics savings for the company and will allow additional business opportunities in the region.  
 
Accent Stainless Steel’s history with South Carolina dates back around 20 years, when the company partnered with Palmetto Brewing Company in Charleston, S.C. to build the first brewery in the state since Prohibition.
 
Additional factors that contributed to the company’s decision to expand to the Southeast include access to a quality workforce and available training opportunities through Horry-Georgetown Technical College’s newly implemented welding program.
 
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits for the project.