Trade & Industry Development magazine recently named Chester and York Counties as winners of the 2024 CiCi Awards for two projects that are expected to bring billions in corporate investment to the region.
The Corporate Investment/Community Impact Awards (CiCi Awards) honored 31 economic development projects. Sixteen winners were in the “Corporate Investment” category, while 15 were in “Community Impact.”
Both Chester and York counties were recognized in the “Corporate Investment” category. Chester County was selected for the Albemarle Corporation announcement; York County was chosen for the QTS Data Centers project. Both projects are expected eventually to be investments of $1 billion or more.
“We are delighted to be recognized as one of Trade and Industry’s 2024 CiCi Award winners,” Robert Long, director of Chester County Economic Development, said. “Albemarle’s Richburg project is critical for the domestic supply of lithium hydroxide for electric vehicles. The Richburg project is part of Albemarle’s long-term plan to help secure the U.S. lithium supply chain, and we look forward to them breaking ground in the future.”
In March 2023, Albemarle announced its plans to invest $1.3 billion and create more than 300 jobs for a new lithium hydroxide processing plant to help meet the demand for domestic and international electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries. In January 2024, Albemarle outlined a series of proactive measures to re-phase its organic growth investments in response to changing end-market conditions. As a result, the company is deferring spending at the Richburg facility. Albemarle is advancing partnerships with South Carolina, local communities and educational institutions to build a talent pipeline and create advanced technology jobs to support the facility and the community. Additionally, the site could create new opportunities for suppliers and other businesses to locate nearby.
In September 2023, QTS Data Centers, a leading global provider of colocation data center infrastructure and related services, announced it will establish operations in York County. The $1 billion investment is the company’s first South Carolina facility and will help establish a technology hub in York County.
