Solar Atmospheres opening first Southeastern facility in Greenville County
October 1, 2014
$15 million investment expected to create 11 new jobs
Solar Atmospheres, a leading commercial heat treating company, is establishing its first Southeastern operations in Greenville County to better serve customers in the automotive and aerospace-rich region. The company’s more than $15 million investment will create 11 new jobs in the area.
Solar Atmospheres is one of the world’s largest providers of commercial vacuum heat treating services. The newest division of Solar Atmospheres will be operating out of 54,000 square feet of manufacturing space at 108 Progressive Court. The facility is located on a 14-acre site south of Greenville near the intersection of I-85 and I-185, which is within a one-day trip from most industrial centers in the Southeast.
Vacuum furnaces and support equipment are currently being scheduled for installation and startup. Furnace sizes will range from vacuum furnaces capable of supporting small production lots and development work to a 24-foot car bottom furnace for processing large, heavy loads. Process capabilities will range from standard vacuum heat treating to vacuum carburizing, vacuum annealing, vacuum stress relieving, vacuum brazing, and other specialized vacuum thermal processes as well as research and development activity.
Company representatives expect the Greenville facility to open by the end of the first quarter of 2015. The company operates three existing facilities in the United States: two in Pennsylvania and another in California. Solar Atmospheres today serves more than 18 industries, including aerospace, medical, automotive and power generation.
Hiring will begin in January. Those interested in being a part of the new Solar Atmospheres Greenville team may visit the company’s careers page. For more information about Solar Atmospheres, Southeast, please contact Steve Prout at (864) 970-0111 ext. 1401, or [email protected].
QUOTES
“This is a major expansion for our companies with an investment in excess of $15 million including building, property, new vacuum furnaces, and a facility-wide closed-loop water cooling system to ensure continuous uptime for our customers.” -Roger Jones, corporate president of Solar Atmospheres
“Greenville was selected because of its logistical convenience to current and prospective customers and the favorable business climate in South Carolina and especially in the Greenville area.” -Steve Prout, president of Solar Atmospheres Southeast
“With this announcement we are once again proving that South Carolina is a place where businesses of all kinds can grow and succeed. We celebrate Solar Atmospheres for choosing Greenville County for their new facility, bringing $15 million in investment and creating 11 new jobs for the area.” -Gov. Nikki Haley
“Companies that serve our growing automotive and aerospace sectors are quickly finding a home in South Carolina. What a testament to our business-friendly reputation that Solar Atmospheres will bring their first facility in the Southeastern United States to Greenville.” -Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt
“Solar Atmospheres is an outstanding example of a company that is using world-class technology, unmatched technical expertise and performance-based processes to grow and succeed. Theirs is a technology-driven business with an entrepreneurial energy, and will be a great addition to Greenville County.” -Richard (Dick) Wilkerson, chairman of the Greenville Area Development Corporation
“The Upstate region is primed to support innovation and growth among cutting-edge partners serving the automotive and aerospace industries. This area is home to a growing array of research-driven, technically advanced organizations whose expertise continues to fuel our regional economy. We welcome Solar Atmospheres to the Upstate.” -John Lummus, president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance
FIVE FAST FACTS
- Solar Atmospheres is establishing its first Southeastern operations in Greenville County to better serve automotive and aerospace customers in the region.
- $15 million investment to create 11 new jobs.
- Company will be operating out of 54,000 square feet of manufacturing space at 108 Progressive Court.
- Solar Atmospheres today serves more than 18 industries, including aerospace, medical, automotive and power generation.
- Those interested in being a part of the new Solar Atmospheres Greenville team may visit the company’s career page.
About Solar Atmospheres
Solar Atmospheres is one of the world’s largest providers of commercial vacuum heat treating services. Through unmatched technical expertise, equipment, and quality systems, Solar’s thermal processing produces bright, scale-free parts with minimal distortion. For clients requiring an “out-of-the ordinary” application, an in-house R&D team of metallurgists and scientists develop innovative, custom process solutions. Serving over 18 markets, Solar’s state-of-the art services include vacuum brazing, carburizing, nitriding and advanced processing of raw materials such as Titanium, Tantalum, and nano powders. With over 50 furnaces ranging from lab sized to the world’s largest commercial vacuum furnaces, Solar can efficiently handle any size job. Headquartered in Souderton, near Philadelphia, Solar also operates plants in Hermitage, near Pittsburgh, in Fontana, California, near Los Angeles, and most recently in Greenville, South Carolina. Please visit www.solaratm.com for more information.