Expansion is coming to a South Carolina maker of protective and temperature control foam products.
EFP LLC, also known as Engineered Foam Packaging, is spending $31.5 million to add to a manufacturing site in Bishopville, S.C., in Lee County that was first announced in 2023. EFP signaled at that time that the company planned to expand beyond the initial construction within the next two to three years.
Now EFP is doing just that with a 200,000-square-foot add-on to existing operations. The expansion, scheduled to be completed in April 2026, is expected to add 57 jobs.
"This substantial growth will boost production capacity for advanced expanded polystyrene (EPS) and expanded polypropylene (EPP) solutions, enabling EFP to better serve its customers while maintaining its role as an industry leader," the company said.
The project is slated to receive a $750,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant from the state to Lee County to go toward water and sewer improvements as well as site preparation. EFP also will receive job development credits through the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development.
"This growth is essential in supporting the increasing demand for our high-quality solutions used in protective packaging, automotive applications and the cold chain industry," EFP President John Hoeper said in a statement.
EFP first invested $15 million to create a 117,000-square-foot location in Bishopville, a move that the state said would create 53 jobs.
"The opening of EFP's plant in Bishopville ... augments our capabilities and strengthens our presence nationwide. We look forward to the growth of this facility and what it brings to the Bishopville community," Hoeper said in a May 2024 statement when the company held a grand opening ceremony for the site.
The company, at that time the initial construction was first revealed, indicated EFP would benefit from creating a new manufacturing location that would allow the company to seek growth in the Southeast.
EFP also has locations in Elkhart and Evansville, Ind., Decatur, Ala., La Vergne, Tenn., and Reno, Nev.
EFP is a subsidiary of J.B. Poindexter & Co., which describes itself as a privately held portfolio of business that includes Federal Eagle, a maker of funeral hearses.