CHRIS DAY Morning News
Innovative Construction Group, a subsidiary of PulteGroup, Inc., announced its decision to establish operations in Florence in December 2021. The company invested $35.6 million in equipment at the Florence facility, which will eventually employ 179.
The company already has hired 60 employees, and is looking for more. Individuals interested in joining the Innovative Construction Group team should visit the company’s website — www.icgbuilds.com/careers/ — for more information.
The Florence facility makes wall panels and trusses that are used to build houses in the Myrtle Beach region.
Florence County Economic Development Partnership Chief Executive Officer Gregg Robinson, Florence County Council Chairman Willard Dorriety Jr., South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and PulteGroup, Inc., Chief Executive Officer Ryan Marshall spoke at the dedication ceremony.
The dedication ceremony was the culmination of a long process to attract, recruit and bring Innovative Construction Group to Florence, Robinson said.
The state, region, county and city worked together to get this manufacturing facility open, and bring jobs to the Pee Dee, Robinson said.
“Quality, world-class companies know that they can make a profit in our location more than anywhere else. Let’s not lose sight of that. What you see today in this 200,000 square-foot facility didn’t happen overnight,” Robinson said.
Florence County couldn’t have attracted Innovative Construction Group if the 200,000 square-foot facility wasn’t built, the county didn’t build roads and the city of Florence didn’t supply water and sewage to the building, Robinson said.
Teamwork is the key to finding, recruiting and bringing industry to Florence County, Dorriety said. Economic development will continue to move forward in Florence County because of the cooperation between Florence County Economic Development Corporation, the city of Florence and the county.
“I like to say Florence is the pearl of the Pee Dee,” Dorriety said. “As we grow economically, so does Darlington County, so does Dillon, Marion, Lee and Clarendon. We are the point, the spear that has to bring economic development. Projects like this are instrumental in what we do.”
Florence County is glad Innovative Construction Group is here, he said. The County Council hopes the company’s success in Florence will create a reason for future expansion.
The lieutenant governor also welcomed Innovative Construction Group to Florence and South Carolina.
“I can say 100% that South Carolina walks the walk we talk. We are a pro-business state,” she said.
Innovative Construction Group is the right business for South Carolina because there is a housing shortage in the state.
“Up in Greenville where I hail as home, they are 18,000 homes short on inventory. South Carolina is growing, and we are growing because of good leadership,” Evette said. “Companies from across our nation and across our globe are looking at South Carolina.”
South Carolina already is the best state to live, work and raise a family. Florence is an amazing place, she said.
PulteGroup, Inc. has been in business for 70 years and has built more than 800,000 homes, Marshall said. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company builds homes throughout the United States.
“South Carolina is a really important part of our company. For a long, long time, we’ve built in the cities of Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach. In the last couple of years, we have expanded into Columbia and we’ve expanded into Greenville,” Marshall said.
The company, Marshall said, from the start of the process felt Florence was the place for its newest facility. PulteGroup, Inc., plans eight more plants, like the Florence facility, in the future.
Florence and South Carolina were attractive, he said, because it’s business-friendly and business first, he said.