Commercial Electrician in Fort Lawn, SC

E. & J. Gallo plans to build a new bottling plant in South Carolina, a facility that would serve as Gallo’s main hub east of the Mississippi, according to various reports.

The world’s biggest wine company plans to build the plant on more than 600 acres in Fort Lawn, Chester County, in an area once known for its textile mills, according to the multiple sources. Fort Lawn is about 45 minutes south from Charlotte Douglas International Airport and an hour north from Columbia, SC.

Modesto-based Gallo plans to invest more than $400 million over the next eight years and hire nearly 500 employees, Rob Donoho, head of Gallo’s global chain functions, told South Carolina state legislators on March 9. It would only be the first of five phases, Donoho noted.

“This is really intended to be our East Coast home for the Gallo enterprise for decades and decades to come,” Donoho said.

The plant, which could be reached by rail, would be designed to bottle wine in different formats, including glass, cans, bag-in-box and small plastic bottles, according to Donoho. It will also be a warehousing and distribution center for wine bottled in California and shipped to Chester County, according to Donoho’s presentation. The company could also produce its own cans on site, Donoho said.

Gallo, an importer and exporter, also plans to “double or triple” its operations at the Port of Charleston, according to Donoho.

No timeline has been given. Still Donoho and other representatives spoke of the company’s commitment.

“We do actively want to come to South Carolina. There has been a tremendous vetting process,” Donoho told the South Carolina Senate Judiciary subcommittee which is considering a bill to allow Gallo to have up to four satellite tasting rooms for educational and marketing purposes. “We’re very close to closing the deal,” he said.

Donoho cited the economic and environmental benefits of having the plant in South Carolina, given that about 70 percent of its customers are on the East Coast.

“Being a wine grape producer on the West Coast puts us at a logistics disadvantage to getting products to our consumers,” Donoho said. Shipping “heavy” glass bottles and cardboard cross country, he said, was “very expensive.”

Instead, it is “much cheaper“ for the company to ship its wine to the East Coast and source the glass and other packaging locally, Donoho said. “There is a tremendous logistics advantage to doing that.”

Donoho also noted the “sustainability” benefit of “not burning as much fuel to get the product to the consumers.”

The state’s other benefits would include supply chain revenues and the demand for trucking services, according to the presentation. In addition, the satellite tasting rooms Gallo wants to open could spur tourism, Donoho and others said.

Minimum wage in South Carolina is $7.25/hour.

Among the factors that led Gallo to choose South Carolina to build its “East Coast home,” Donoho cited South Carolina’s business-friendly climate, its location to the port of Charleston, and S.C. Ready, a state-sponsored job training program. “It’s truly one of the things that attracted us to the state,” he said.

Donoho addressed the subcommittee as the state Legislature considers S. 619, a bill that would allow Gallo to have up to four satellite tasting rooms in the state. Gallo’s representatives have called the provision a “critical” point to the company coming to the state. The tasting rooms will be a marketing and educational tool and will build brand awareness, Donoho said. Their locations for the tasting rooms, which could be 800 to 1,200 square feet, according to Donoho, were not specified.

South Carolina’s top elected officials, including Gov. Henry McMaster, have strongly backed the Gallo project in Chester County.

In a March 9 letter to the state legislators, McMaster urged support for S. 619. Gallo was “very close to announcing a once-in-a-generation $400 million capital investment in Chester County that will create nearly 500 jobs,” McMaster wrote. The investment will “transform the community and contribute greatly to South Carolina’s economic prosperity.”

E. & J. Gallo, he wrote, “is a well-respected, family owned company with products that are distributed across the globe.”

South Carolina State Sen. Brad Hutto, D – Orangeburg, voiced support for Gallo, noting the jobs that could be created. “We look forward to having them,” Hutto said, referring to Gallo.

The Senate Judiciary subcommittee was scheduled to meet again Thursday regarding S. 619. Current state wine law does not address satellite tasting rooms. The legislation was drafted after the South Carolina’s Department of Commerce, which is helping Gallo come to the state, approached the Department of Revenue to figure out the next steps, according to testimony before the state’s Senate Judiciary subcommittee.

The state Department of Commerce has submitted an application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to seek a permit to build the plant. Construction would require filling about 1 acre of wetlands and about 8,000 feet of tributaries, according to the public notice. The environmental evaluation of the project is under way, according to the federal agency.

Gallo’s name was not mentioned as the applicant behind the Fort Lawn project until recently.

The financial agreement between Gallo and local officials has not been unveiled either. The Chester County Council has discussed the project, code named “Project Magma,” in closed-door sessions.

The secrecy did not sit well with Michael McLain who lives near the site where the proposed Gallo facility may be built. He found the identity of his potential new neighbor through the U.S. Corps of Engineers, he said. “You’re not watching after us,” McLain told the Chester County Council early March.

The plant is going to “squash the value of my property and my home and is going to be annoying the crap out of me every morning and every evening by being right across the street from me, shining lights in and out of my house,” McLain said.

This week, however, a manager at The Wagon Wheel restaurant in Fort Lawn said the Gallo plant would bring jobs to the community.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce and a Gallo representative declined to give more specifics on the company’s South Carolina plans.

“E. & J. Gallo Winery is constantly reviewing the strategic options of its business in order to meet growing global demand; toward that end, we are exploring potential operational investment opportunities on the east coast. Nothing is finalized at this stage and we don’t have specifics at this time, however we are continuing to explore strategic options within our business as we plan for the future,” Gallo representative Natalie Hoch Henderson said in an email.

Companies mentioned in this article:

E & J Gallo Winery

FORT LAWN — A bottling, canning and distribution company believed to be affiliated with the Gallo wine empire wants to build a plant of more than 5 million square feet on a wooded, 630-acre tract on the edge of this tiny Chester County town where textile mills once flourished.

A spokeswoman for Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery said the Modesto, Calif.-based company has been reviewing its strategic options to meet global demand for its products, including exploring potential investment opportunities on the East Coast.

“Nothing is finalized at this stage, and we don’t have specifics at this time,” Natalie Hoch Henderson said.

Code-named “Project Magma,” the project has been moving through the incentive phase at the county level, where Chester officials have given initial approval to a plan to allow the company to pay a set fee instead of property taxes, an arrangement commonly used throughout South Carolina to attract jobs.

The Post and Courier requested a resolution about the tax breaks, which was discussed during the open session of a public meeting earlier this month. The county required the newspaper to file a Freedom of Information Act request, which it said was forwarded to legal counsel Feb. 26.

The number of jobs and the investment amount for Project Magma have not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Columbia led by Sen. Luke Rankin of Horry County have filed a bill that would attract and benefit wineries in South Carolina. In a report published on onlineChester.com this week, Sen. Mike Fanning of Fairfield acknowledged the work and “due diligence” underway in Fort Lawn while stressing that the deal hasn’t been finalized.

“This could include the establishment of an industrial project that would bring significant investment and several hundred jobs over a period of time,’” said Fanning, whose co-sponsors of the winery bill include Sen. Hugh Leatherman of Florence. “The project would be internationally recognized, and considered to be an extremely clean operation with state-of-the-art production capabilities.”

Plans filed by the S.C. Department of Commerce with the Army Corps of Engineers show a three-phased building approach with more than two dozen structures, with the largest containing 800,000 square feet of space.

Rail spurs will have to be built to tie into the Lancaster and Chester Railroad, which runs along S.C. Highway 9 on the north side of the property. Several rail lines also are slated on the interior of the property between the larger buildings for loading and unloading materials.

The property is behind two large textile plants once operated by the Springs family. They are now used for logistics and storage and employ a fraction of the workers who once toiled in the mills that proliferated throughout the Upstate. Most of them were mothballed as textile production moved to cheaper labor in foreign markets.

As part of the planned development, which touches the Catawba River, slightly more than an acre of freshwater wetlands and about 1½ miles of tributaries that carry water away from Fort Lawn toward the river will have to be filled and rerouted.

Residents’ reaction

One of the main tributaries that will be disturbed runs under U.S. Highway 21 adjacent to Sandra McLain’s house, which sits directly across from the proposed plant site.

She’s all for new jobs coming to the area, but not at the expense of being stuck with a view of the truck parking lot that’s proposed across from her house and the prospect of flooding on her side of the road if the wetlands work is somehow botched.

“Having industry come into the area is a fabulous thing,” she said. “People need to work. But we don’t want a parking lot across the street from our front yard.”

McLain forwarded her comments to the Army Corps of Engineers, which in February sent letters seeking public feedback from neighboring property owners. The federal permitting agency is involved because the project includes the realignment of streams and wetlands.

“There is nothing showing a buffer on the plans they sent us,” McLain said from her front porch while staring at the site beyond her manicured yard. “Who wants to stand here and look at a parking lot? I want them to at least put in a 50-foot tree buffer over there.”

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — A 79-year-old woman who was reported missing on Sept. 13 from Helms-Gordon Residential Care in Fort Lawn has been found alive, the Chester County Sheriff’s Office said.

ALSO READ: Fight involving parents, students on Chester County school bus leads to arrest, officials say

Authorities said Thursday a drone spotted Judy Pate in a wooded area along Cemetery Road, which had already been searched.

“Around 11 a.m., a group of guys looked at that map again that was reviewed a thousand times and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” said Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey. “They got our drone operator and said, ‘Let’s go down and do this,’ and it happened. There’s no doubt God led them down there.”

Family members were relieved.

“It’s really emotional because you expect the worse, but here today, we’ve come to realize that God had a plan,” said David Elliot, Pate’s nephew.

“She’s in good spirits,” Elliot said. “She was moving a little. She was found at the bottom of a ravine. A creek bed. She was talking.”

Volunteers, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter and multiple agencies helped with the search.

Pate’s pastor, Rev. Trent McLaughlin, helped with the search.

“She is a strong lady,” McLaughlin said. “She trusts God. She has faith in God and that is what we’re putting our hope and faith in that. That she’s going to be found alive and safe.”

An ambulance rushed her to a medical helicopter that flew her to the hospital to be checked out.

ALSO READ: Facility investigated twice before elderly resident rescued from nearby woods, state officials say

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Pate family announced that DHEC was launching an investigation into Helms-Gordon Residential Care.

They issued a statement regarding the investigation saying:

“The Pate family has received and reviewed the results of the initial investigation into the Helms-Gordon Facility performed by DHEC. To say they are disgusted and upset with the findings would be an understatement. Helms-Gordon was cited multiple times for violations of the State imposed standards of care. The investigation indicates that Ms. Judy was missing for hours before anyone at Helms-Gordon was even aware. Furthermore, the investigation states that upon discovering that Ms. Judy was missing, Helms-Gordon waited hours before contacting the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. This delayed response to authorities is abhorrent, and unforgivable. We intend to pursue every avenue of justice to ensure that no other person or family has to undergo this type of nightmare due to the inactions of an irresponsible facility.”

VIDEO: Chester County Schools makes safety changes

Construction of a California wine giant’s facility in Chester County, SC, will begin Wednesday. State officials say the project is a significant step toward revitalizing a poor former mill town.

Gov. Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Department of Commerce announced Tuesday E&J Gallo Winery, the largest family-owned winery in the United States, is officially coming to the small Chester town of Fort Lawn.

The facility will provide bottling and canning as well as warehousing and distribution. It is the company’s first facility on the east coast.

The project is on track to be completed by October of 2022, a press release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce said.

The facility will be on 650 acres between Lancaster Highway and Catawba Creek Road, said Robert Long, Chester economic development director.

Gallo has invested $423 million in the project, which is estimated to create 496 new jobs over the next eight years.

According to census data, 17.7% of citizens in Chester County live in poverty, compared to the United States average of 10.5%. Employment in Chester dropped 8% from 2019 to 2020, data shows.

“Gallo’s $423 million investment and the 496 new jobs in Chester County will transform the region,” SC Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said in a statement Tuesday.

Lawmakers and local officials believe this project will bring economic progress all over Chester County.

“Fort Lawn is one of those communities that was hit hard by the textile mills,” Long said, which is the story in most towns in Chester County. The small town, which was chosen for its proximity to railroads, will benefit greatly from this new venture, he said. “This is a once in a decade project.”

McMaster said in a press release that the “Gallo’s investment will transform Chester County and contribute greatly to South Carolina’s economic prosperity. Creating a business environment in which world-class brands can grow and thrive is critical to South Carolina’s long-term economic success, especially in our rural communities.

Fort Lawn Mayor Carlton Martin said the project is just what the town needed. “We are confident this will attract other companies to join in what is sure to be great things for the Fort Lawn community.”

In May, the governor signed into law a measure tweaking the state’s alcohol legislation, and green-lighting the Gallo project.

Representatives for Gallo had said they would not proceed with the project until the measure was passed, The State reported in March.

The legislation, will allow Gallo to open three off-site tasting rooms and sell customers up to six bottles of wine. The facility is required to close at 5:30 p.m. to avoid competition with local businesses.

This story was originally published June 15, 2021, 1:07 PM.

The proposed facility would make the tiny town of Fort Lawn the winemaker's east coast hub—assuming it's also allowed to open some tasting rooms.

Earlier this week, the South Carolina House of Representatives approved a piece of legislation that would allow E.& J. Gallo Winery to open a bottling plant and three tasting rooms in the state. The bill's supporters say that Gallo's proposal would provide several hundred jobs for South Carolina residents, while those who oppose it worry that it will negatively affect local wineries and restaurants.

The plant—which will actually start out as a large warehouse and distribution center—is expected to employ around 500 people. It will be located in Fort Lawn (Pop. 940) a rural town in equally rural Chester County. According to Wine Searcher, one tasting room could also open in Fort Lawn, while the others are likely to be in more tourist-friendly locations like Hilton Head and Charleston.

Bringing Gallo to South Carolina requires some modifications to the state's existing liquor laws. The Johnson City Press reports that the proposed legislation, SB 619, would allow breweries, distilleries, and wineries to open "satellite locations" where they can sell their products—and that's where the tasting rooms would come in.

Each of those facilities would only be allowed to sell wine, and they would be required to close by 5:30 p.m. Although the Gallo properties would have to purchase the wines they sell from wholesalers within the state, the bill's critics say that the tasting rooms would still be detrimental to local retailers, restaurants, and smaller wineries.

"We always seem to be in a rush to fashion new laws for some shiny object coming from out of state, bend over backwards to get rid of a system that we've had in place for a number of years," Sen. Marlon Kimpson told The State. "But the local restaurants tell me that these testing rooms unnecessarily drive up the competition."

But those in favor of the bill—and of the California company's willingness to open these facilities in South Carolin—say the positives absolutely outweigh the negatives. "This is a world player choosing to locate only its second [bottling and distribution center] in this teeny town," Sen. Mike Fanning said.

The plant is expected to be constructed on around 600 acres of land in Fort Lawn, and Gallo would invest more than $400 million in the county within the next eight years. Rob Donoho, the head of Gallo's global chain functions, said that the company "actively wants" to open this facility in South Carolina. "This is really intended to be our East Coast home for the Gallo enterprise for decades and decades to come," he told legislators this spring.