Omron Automation Selects Spartanburg County For First SC Operation

Omron Automation (OMRON), a global leader in industrial automation technology, has selected Spartanburg County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation.

The $9.2 million investment will create 162 jobs in five years, according to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office.

With over 90 years of experience, OMRON creates, sells and services fully integrated automation solutions that optimize manufacturing and improve safety.

The company provides manufacturing solutions to customers in over 110 countries and has production facilities in Japan, Brazil, China, the Netherlands and the United States.

OMRON will lease and build out a 60,000-square-foot production facility at 311 Genoble Road in Greer to manufacture industrial automation technologies including motion controllers and drives, machine vision, barcode readers, and barcode verification systems.

Operations will be online in April 2024. Those interested in joining the OMRON team should go to www.sctechjobs.com (enter “OMRON” as a keyword to narrow search).

The state’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project.

The council also awarded a $100,000 Set-Aside grant to Spartanburg County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

Del Webb Greenville Introduces 55+ Lifestyle to Upstate

Del Webb Greenville announced the groundbreaking of its inaugural active adult community in South Carolina’s Upstate, where officials said those aged 55 and older can put down roots alongside the Reedy River and build a social and event-filled lifestyle.

Upon completion, the 209-acre community in Greenville County, off Ranch Road, will feature 434 homes designed around ponds, green space and scenic nature trails along Del Webb’s one mile of Reedy River shoreline.

Also overlooking the river, the 9,000 square foot clubhouse will serve as a gathering hub for residents, with a state-of-the-art fitness studio, ballroom and meeting/event space.

Officials said Del Webb’s first age-restricted community in Greenville will feature resort-style amenities integrated into a curated selection of single-family, low-maintenance homes.

The sales center is set to open in spring 2025, offering homesite selection and a model park showcasing professionally decorated homes to tour.

"The groundbreaking ceremony marks the commencement of a community that will define the expectations of 55-plus living in the Upstate,” said Chad Plunkett, Greenville division president for PulteGroup. “Del Webb is not just building new homes; we are crafting an unmatched lifestyle experience for active adults in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

The clubhouse will be joined by an outdoor pool and sun deck, and pickleball and bocce courts. A future full-time lifestyle director will organize events, clubs, interest groups and classes.

Golf carts will be allowed along the roadways.

With choices from two to four bedrooms and baths, floorplans range in size from about 1,300 square feet to over 2,200 square feet, and feature front porches, kitchen islands, storage and blended indoor/outdoor living areas. Options for lofts, sunrooms and spa-like owners’ retreats also are available.

Del Webb is a national brand of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM). 

SCbio Honors McMaster, Life Science Leaders at Industry Conference

SCbio gathered hundreds of life science leaders from across South Carolina and the United States in Greenville this week for SCbio 2024, the state's premier life sciences conference, honoring leaders who have made exceptional career contributions to the fast-growing industry.

Top honors at the conference include:

* The SC Life Sciences Hall of Fame Award was presented to S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster.

* The SC Pinnacle Award for Organizational Contribution was presented to Rymedi.

* The SC Pinnacle Award for Individual Contribution was presented to Mike Graney, vice president of Global Business Development with Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA).

* The South Carolina Life Sciences Rising Star Award was presented to Richard Pace, Owner and Principal Scientist with Parimer Scientific.

* A Special Award for Exceptional Contributions to the industry was presented to Sam Patrick, former director of marketing of SCbio.

Officials said each award honors an individual or organization whose performance over time has resulted in superior results, inspirational leadership, industry advancement, innovation, and quality of life benefits to employees, customers, and communities statewide, nationally and globally.

“The life sciences industry in the Palmetto State is thriving with opportunity and momentum because of the achievements and leadership of these award winners,” said SCbio President and CEO James Chappell. “These honorees have drawn the eyes of state leaders and organizations to our industry, a business sector that will drive South Carolina’s economy for years to come.”

Presented by sponsoring organizations Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Rymedi, VisitGreenvilleSC, and other top organizations, the conference welcomed registrants from over 25 U.S. states. 

More than 200 organizations from medical devices, biomanufacturing, drug discovery, research and development, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and testing, digital health, health IT, and bio-agriculture attended.

SCbio is South Carolina’s investor-driven economic development organization exclusively focused on building, advancing, and growing the life sciences industry in the state.

SCbio represents more than 1,000 organizations employing more than 87,000 professionals across the state and supports and advances organizations in multiple arenas including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment, digital health, research and medical labs, bioscience distribution, bio-ag and more.

For additional information about SCbio and the life sciences industry, go to www.SCbio.org.

The Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers Meet in Las Vegas

It’s a rematch four years in the making: the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The last time the two teams played against each other in a Super Bowl was in 2020, when the Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-20 in Miami.

Many of the Chiefs’ players have played in multiple Super Bowls. 

For some, this will be their fourth appearance in five seasons. Last year, the Kelce brothers – the Chiefs’ Travis and Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason from Cleveland Heights, Ohio — were on opposing teams.

This year, Travis Kelce is back with the Chiefs and some sports and music fans wonder if his girlfriend, Grammy Award-winning pop singer Taylor Swift, will be there.

Other fun facts about the players, according to the U.S. Census Bureau:

* Most common first names: Nick/Nic (5), Chris/Christian (4) and Mike (4).

* Most common last name: Jones (4) and Davis (3).

* States of birth: California (17), Florida (12), Georgia and Texas (10 each), Louisiana (8) and Ohio (7).

* Foreign-born players: Seven (up from three last year), hailing from Australia, Ghana, Greece, Liberia, Nigeria, Mexico and Turkey.

* Colleges: Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma (5); Clemson, Michigan, Middle Tennessee and University of Southern California (4); 5 tied (3).

* Conferences: SEC (26), Big 12 (17), Big Ten and Pac-12 (14), ACC (13) and AAC (8).

* Age: 30 and over (26), including 32 (5); 33 (4), 34 (1) and 35 (1). The majority (113) are in their 20s (the youngest is 21). The average age is 26.2.

* Years of professional experience: One player has 14 years (the 49ers’ Trent Williams), two have 12, two have 11 and three have 10. Eight players have 10+ years, down from 13 players last year. Thirty are rookies, up from 19 last year. The average number of years of experience is 3.7.

* Height: The tallest player (the 49ers’ Alfredo Gutierrez) is 6’8”, five are 6’6” and 10 are 6’5”. The shortest player (the Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire) is 5’7”, one is 5’8” and four are 5’9”. There are 32 players under 6’.

* Weight: Thirty-three players weigh more than 300 pounds, with the heaviest (the Chiefs’ Donovan Smith) weighing in at 338 lbs.

Twenty-four players weigh less than 200 pounds, with the lightest (the Chiefs’ Ekow Boye-Doe) weighing in at 177 lbs. 

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