Pro Towels, a Pittsburgh-based provider of screen printing and embroidery services for the promotional product industry, recently announced plans to expand its current operations in Abbeville, S.C. The $2.5 million investment is expected to generate 50 new jobs.
With the expansion, Pro Towels will move to a new 300,000 square foot facility in Abbeville County, located at 234 Industrial Park Road. The expansion is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2013. The facility will hold offices, warehouse and production all under the same roof.
“We are excited to expand our operations in Abbeville County,” said Kevin Nord, president of Pro Towels. “We’ve seen demand from our customers increase recently and we need to grow our operations to meet that demand. South Carolina has provided us with an excellent business environment and a skilled workforce for years. We appreciate all the support we’ve received from state and local officials.”
“Today’s announcement is another win for one of our state’s rural areas,” said South Carolina Gov. Nikki Hale. “We celebrate Pro Towels’ decision to expand its facility with a $2.5 million investment and the creation of 50 new jobs. When one of our existing businesses decides to increase its footprint here, it’s another indication we are on the right track with our economic development efforts.”
Currently Pro Towels only does apparel decorating at its California facility under the name Superior Decorating, a division of Pro Towels. By tripling their current square footage, new equipment will be added to expand its apparel decorating business to the East Coast. “With the addition of this space, we continue to show the investment in our distributors who have made us the largest towel supplier in the industry and have pushed us to grow on their behalf,” said Brian Porter, Pro Towels vice president of sales. “We truly appreciate the strong partnership and support these companies have shown. Along with our increased capacity, we’ll eventually be able to expand Superior to the East Coast as well, putting us in rare air as one of the very few nationwide contract decorators.”
“South Carolina has a rich history in the textile industry, and it’s still very much a part of our manufacturing sector today,” aid South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “Today’s announcement by Pro Towels not only adds to our reputation in textiles, but also creates new jobs that will have impact.”
“Abbeville County Council is proud to recognize a faithful partner in our industrial sector,” said Abbeville County Council Chairman Bryan McClain. “Pro Towels has a 26-year history as a good corporate citizen. Our outstanding workforce and dedicated economic development efforts have helped this company continue its growth and prosperity.”
For more information about Pro Towels, please visit www.protowels.com.
About Pro Towels
Pro Towels is the largest full-service beach, golf and rally towel supplier within the Promotional Product Industry that offers large format screen printing. With corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., Pro Towels has manufacturing and decorating facilities located in both South Carolina and California. Pro Towels was recognized as the 2012 Business of the Year by the Abbeville County Rotary Club.
