An Austrian company on a Rock Hill site becomes partner for ‘the American dream’ in SC
Getting shovels in the ground probably was the easiest part of Wednesday morning’s activity at the coming STIWA US site in Rock Hill. But there’s still plenty of work to come.
On a soggy stretch of property off Porter Road, business leaders from across the state, country and even Austria gathered in a slight rain to break ground. On a manufacturing site, yes, but also on new ideas and opportunities for how Rock Hill can grow areas that haven’t always had those opportunities.
Mayor John Gettys said the coming building on about 30 acres will create jobs, but also wealth for some of the poorer parts of Rock Hill through a tax increment district. STIWA will bring high-wage manufacturing jobs and a route for people to get their feet in the door for them, through apprenticeships.
“Our future as a community, along with STIWA, is one that more people can fulfill or at least work toward fulfilling, the promise of the American dream,” Gettys said.
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STIWA began in 1972 and remains a family-owned business. Andreas Prokesch, CEO of STIWA US, said the company began investigating in the U.S. market in 2016 and began investment almost two years ago. Prokesch has 43 employees. The new building not far off I-77 in Rock Hill, beside Mount Holly Elementary School, will be 75,000 square feet with a two-story office and a workshop. There will be space for 160 employees and already there’s planning for a future addition.
STIWA will operate in three shifts and work in machinery automation, parts machining, manufacturing software, after sales and supply chain management.
Austrian Ambassador Petra Schneebauer said STIWA is one of Austria’s flagship companies for advanced manufacturing that will be a wonderful addition to Rock Hill. Austria is the fastest growing country for foreign direct investment in the U.S. with a more than 50% increase in the last five years, Schneebauer said, creating thousands of jobs in both countries.
“The Carolinas have developed to be one of the most popular regions for Austrian companies to establish their U.S. presence,” Schneebauer said.
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A main reason is workforce development. Technical college programs and apprenticeships in South Carolina support home-grown and attracted businesses long after groundbreaking.
“The rest of the United States is learning from South Carolina,” said Brent Parton, acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.
The country also can learn from apprenticeship efforts that date back decades in Austria. The U.S. and Austrian governments signed a partnership agreement to grow commerce in both. Parton said potential apprentice students at the STIWA site in Rock Hill are probably in middle school today. Companies like STIWA, Parton said, can help with a manufacturing renaissance in this country by changing minds of Americans about apprenticeships as solid career path opportunities.
“As we are rebuilding the American manufacturing workforce, that we aren’t rebuilding from scratch,” Parton said. “That we’re learning from what South Carolina has done through this partnership. We’re building on what the Austrians have done for many, many years.”
Ashely Teasdel, deputy Secretary of Commerce in South Carolina, said the electrical equipment and mobility market work STIWA does are critical needs for industry. The company can make growth and expansion possible for other companies, or make others more likely to consider South Carolina for their own projects.
“Automation plays such an essential role in attracting manufacturers to the United States, and keeping them here,” Teasdel said.
Markus Achleitner is minister for economic affairs for Upper Austria. That state and South Carolina are similar, Achleitner said, in how they drive business for their countries. Both have strong industrial and automotive presences. Achleitner attended the groundbreaking as part of an already scheduled business mission to South Carolina to grow economic ties between the regions.
“There are so many chances all over the world,” Achleitner said. “And our Upper Austrian companies take these chances.”
Late last year York County approved an economic incentive agreement with STIWA for the 2657 Meadow Road site. Plans are to have the new North American headquarters site operational by fall of next year. The site will be expandable, the company said then, up to 300,000 square feet. The project involves a roughly $30 million investment in the first five years.
Peter Sticht, CEO of STIWA Holding GmbH Austria, said the new Rock Hill site isn’t the only commitment the company has to the U.S. but it is a significant one.
“The new building is not only a physical structure, but a symbol of growth, innovation and our strong presence in the American market,” Sticht said.
