Panhandle to Get 335 More Jobs

 By Mandy Catoe
Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Fort Mill-based Unique Loom is expanding its operations to Indian Land, creating 245 new jobs there over the next four years, and moving an additional 90 positions from Fort Mill.
The company, an online distributor of home furnishings products, has leased the vacant Defense Ventures building at 793 Fort Mill Highway, according to Jamie Gilbert, Lancaster County’s economic development director.
“The Indian Land facility was a great opportunity for us,” Unique Loom spokesperson Johnny Nassri said Monday. “It is a fantastic building able to accommodate our growth plans in several key areas.”
Nassri said the proximity to the company’s Fort Mill warehouses and Interstate 77 was a big draw. He also said his company was impressed with support from the Lancaster County and South Carolina economic development teams since the early stages of the project.
Gilbert said the county and Unique Loom are negotiating tax-based special source revenue credits.
“We are very excited about Unique Loom investing in our county,” Gilbert said. “The job projections are quite strong, and the company is bringing new life to a building that has been vacant for several years.”
One of the keys to the company’s expanding to Lancaster County is the level of support given to businesses, Nassri said.
Gilbert said the county is looking forward to watching Unique Loom grow and becoming one of its largest industrial operations.
Unique Loom will maintain two warehouses in Fort Mill. Of the 90 jobs coming to Lancaster County, about 25 are office jobs and 65 are warehouse workers.
The company sells business to business to distributors and online to individual customers.
Unique Loom’s expansion is the third project announced in Lancaster County this year. Movement Mortgage announced the expansion of its Indian Land headquarters, and Springs Global has moved 30 jobs into its Grace Avenue location.
The three projects will bring an estimated 1,060 new jobs and $23 million in investment, Gilbert said.
Steve Harper, Lancaster County Council chairman, said Unique Loom’s decision to expand here highlights that the county is a great location for business.
“The company has an excellent product that is sold by some of the nation’s leading retailers,” Harper said. “They will be a terrific addition to our growing and diverse business community.”
Unique Loom is currently hiring for warehouse positions. If interested, e-mail the company at info@uniqueloom.com and put “employment” in the subject line.

Follow reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152.