EcoDual to bring 307 new jobs to Beaufort
In a press conference on Thursday, local officials announced that EcoDual, Inc., a leading provider of dual fuel conversion systems for heavy-duty, Class 8 trucks, plans to locate its new manufacturing facility in Beaufort County. The more than $13 million investment is expected to generate 307 new jobs over the next five years. “This is a big day for Beaufort County and a signal to the business world that we want you in our community,” said Kim Statler, Lowcountry Economic Alliance, Executive Director. “EcoDual is a great beginning for our push for green technologies and manufacturing. We welcome them and look forward to watching them grow.”
“We are excited about establishing our new manufacturing operations in Beaufort County,” said Anant Vashi, chief financial officer for EcoDual. “South Carolina offers EcoDual a fantastic business environment and an excellent talent pool to ensure we can meet our 
customers’ expectations. With the growth we are experiencing in our business, we are excited to plant deeper roots in the state. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from state and local officials.”
EcoDual develops proprietary dual fuel conversion systems that enable diesel trucks to operate on up to 60% natural gas, allowing truck fleet owners to reduce operating costs by utilizing the cleaner, U.S.-produced natural gas as a transportation fuel. The company is currently located in a temporary facility at 9 Pin Drop Lane in Beaufort. EcoDual will build a permanent facility in the Beaufort Commerce Park within the next 18 months that is expected to be a 100,000-square-foot facility in the Beaufort Commerce Park. It also pledged to invest $13.7 million and create 307 jobs within five years. The company currently has 20 employees.
As part of the deal, Beaufort county will buy an $850,000 engine-testing device called a dynamometer and the county will own the device, but EcoDual, and potentially other businesses, can use it.
Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than $5 billion in capital investment and more than 8,000 jobs in the automotive-related sector.
“We are very excited that EcoDual has chosen Beaufort County as their location and look forward to many successful years of business growth,” said Paul Sommerville, Chairman Beaufort County Council. “It is a great time to welcome new high skill manufacturing to our Region.”
The company will work with readySC on hiring and training workers. Qualified applicants should inquire about job opportunities at EcoDual by contacting careers@ecodual.com. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits.
More about EcoDual, Inc.:
EcoDual, Inc. is an independent provider of patent pending, dual fuel conversion systems enabling existing heavy duty diesel trucks to substantially reduce fuel costs by operating on a combination of diesel and natural gas. In dual fuel operation, the trucks maintain full torque and power with no loss of miles per gallon. Systems can be configured to accommodate the range requirements of most fleets on either CNG or LNG. Equally important, there is no “range anxiety” with EcoDual systems as they automatically run on 100% diesel if the natural gas tank ever runs dry. For more information on EcoDual and its products, visit the company website: www.ecodual.com.
