An international chemical company will move its United States headquarters to York County, creating 15 new jobs and employing 45 people.
Pulcra Chemicals, which now operates out of Charlotte, will take over the former IsoChem building in Rock Hill's Airport Industrial Park.
"Rock Hill and the surrounding area provide us with an excellent business environment, a strong workforce and excellent market access," said Jeffrey T. Langley, president of Pulcra Chemicals.
Pulcra Chemicals makes and distributes specialty chemicals used in the manufacturing and processing of textiles and leather for garments, fabrics and other products.
The U.S. headquarters of the Germany-based company has been leasing space on Westinghouse Boulevard in Charlotte. Langley said the company has been looking for a place of its own for a couple of years.
The IsoChem building "met our needs perfectly," he said, and moving to Rock Hill has the added bonus of being closer to many of the company's employees who live in York County.
The company will invest more than $2.6 million in its Rock Hill expansion, adding new manufacturing capabilities to supplement its product supply.
Renovations of the facility are scheduled to begin in September, Langley said, and the company hopes to move in by year's end.
Langley credited generous support from the state and county with helping the company decide to settle here.
Mark Farris, director of York County's Economic Development Board, said tax incentives - a manufacturer's abatement extension - attracted the company.
"For the first five years, they will pay only school taxes and not county or city millage," Farris said.
That tax break will result in a 45 percent reduction in taxes paid by Pulcra Chemicals over five years. An exact dollar figure was not known on Tuesday.
York County Council Chairman Buddy Motz said the company's arrival is proof of the county's ability to bring businesses to the region, even in a poor economy.
"Despite the historical decline in the textile economy," Motz said, "international companies like Pulcra Chemicals continue to thrive in this industry sector by delivering high product quality and innovation.
"Their decision to bring new jobs and investment to York County proves that we can contend on a global scale for even the most competitive business."
Rock Hill leaders welcomed the news.
"Pulcra Chemicals represents an exciting opportunity for our city's economic development," City Manager Carey Smith said. "We're pleased they've chosen Rock Hill for their operation and we welcome them to our community."