With a combined staff of 35 experienced engineers, office support and fabrication personnel, Merchant Iron Works is a Sumter-based fabricator and installer of structural steel, miscellaneous metals and material handling equipment. Founded in 2001, the company's services support the industrial and commercial markets.

Located at 3215 Beulah Cuttino Road in Sumter, S.C., Merchant Iron Works' phased expansion will result in an 8,000-square-foot plant addition and a 150,000-square-foot outdoor steel processing and shipping area.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved a $100,000 Set Aside grant to Sumter County to assist with the costs of site preparation.

"We are very excited about this expansion," said David Merchant, president. "It will increase our overall production capabilities and allow us to process a product line in Sumter that we currently outsource to other states, thus providing further economic opportunities for our local community. It has been a pleasure working with the Sumter Economic Development team, TheLink, and the S.C. Department of Commerce. They have been a tremendous resource and great partners through all of the various phases of this project."