S.C. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette paid a visit to OXCO on Wednesday while visiting a handful of South Carolina businesses that are working hard to keep their workforce safe.
Established in 1994, OXCO manufactures and supplies non-woven fabrics and industrial materials for a variety of industries and end-use applications.
The Lieutenant Governor became familiar with OXCO in 2019 as they moved into a brand-new 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, relocating from Charlotte to Fort Mill and bringing $13 million in capital investment and more than 130 jobs to York County.
Once an empty lot, the land is now home to a flourishing business, which is contributing to the economy and also helping to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) materials to help with COVID-19.
“When OXCO decided to call South Carolina home last year, it was terrific news for our state and our people,” Evette said. “Now, standing here today, I am grateful to witness how OXCO’s leadership has not only kept their employees working and safe, but also shifted their business operations to help supply PPE materials. It’s really incredible.”
2020 started out as a typical year for OXCO as they approached their 26th year in business, but this past March, everything changed – along with the rest of the world. (Story continues below)
“When I first heard about COVID-19, I didn’t know how much it would impact the United States or our company,” said Erich Meier, President and Owner of OXCO. “As the virus quickly spread across the country we knew we had to do our best to keep our doors open while keeping our employees safe – and that we needed to use our business resources to help in some meaningful way.”
OXCO jumped into action by following all Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines—and then some.
“We made arrangements for any employee who could accomplish their work away from the facility to work at home, and we made sure that they were equipped to do so,” said Diane Shytle, VP of Administration at OXCO. “We then sprang into action to keep our production employees safe. Since March, they have been required to wear masks, practice social distancing, and sanitize their hands and workstations.” (Story continues below)
Along with keeping their employees safe, OXCO didn’t originally know how they could help with the pandemic, but they knew that there had to be a way. As the effects of the virus started to unfold, they pivoted their business to supply fabric for face masks and hand wipes, which is what the world desperately needed.
“We heard that one of our core customers was shifting their entire production line to produce face masks, and we knew we could help,” stated Meier. “We immediately changed course and started to supply the fabric to support their efforts.”
“At the onset of COVID-19, our business dipped, and we were nervous about the future,” said Jeff Meier, Co-founder and Owner of OXCO. “But we quickly figured out how we could adjust to help supply what was needed for the pandemic, so we were able to stay productive making PPE products. Now, as the economy starts to improve, our core business is starting to increase again while we still work to support the needs of the community. It’s gratifying to know that we can play a part in helping
As the company continues to grow, OXCO is currently hiring for multiple production and professional positions at all levels at its Fort Mill facility located in Lakemont Business Park.
“We have been actively hiring for the past six months and will continue to in order to keep up with our business activity. We have also invested in new production assets to meet the demands for nonwoven fabric.” Meier said.
Grateful that the pandemic didn’t devastate their business like so many others as a result of the virus, OXCO is excited and hopeful about the future.
“Business is good and continues to pick up,” Meier said. “We are taking it day by day and doing our best to meet all of our customers’ needs.”
If interested in available job opportunities, please visit http://www.oxco.com/jobs or send your resume to jobs@oxco.com.
(Source: The story above is taken from a press release sent to editor@fortmillsun.com)