Home Care In Fort Lawn, SC

When E. & J. Gallo Winery announced its plans and began construction last June for a massive East Coast hub in Chester County, company leaders targeted October 2022 to open the first piece of the operation. The nation's largest winemaker held a ceremony today to celebrate the fact it achieved that goal despite supply-chain challenges stemming from the Covid-19 outbreak.

Gallo welcomed a number of state and local leaders, including S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, to mark the opening of its regional distribution center in Fort Lawn. The distribution operation occupies just a piece of a large, 1.5 million-square-foot building that is under construction to accommodate the first phase of Gallo's East Coast operation.

Erich Kaepp, Gallo's vice president of eastern operations, said it was "a push up to the end" to prepare to launch the distribution operation, which officially opened on Oct. 3.

"Having achieved that milestone further demonstrates that choosing South Carolina was the correct decision," CEO Ernest Gallo said of the company staying on schedule despite pandemic-related challenges. "Although we are here to celebrate the opening of this facility, it is just the first of many anticipated phases."

Gallo pledged a $423 million investment and the creation of nearly 500 jobs for the first phase of the project that includes the regional distribution center, a production facility, warehousing, bottling, canning and an import and export hub.

The company plans to open the next piece of the operation in February, when it is targeting the opening of its first production line in Fort Lawn. That line will serve the company's High Noon brand. Kaepp said he is still eyeing May and August of next year, respectively, to open the second and third production lines at the first phase.

The Modesto, California-based Gallo has acquired well over 600 acres at the intersection of S.C. Highway 9 and U.S. Highway 21 for the East Coast hub. The first portion of Gallo's Chester County operations is expected to take up around 300 acres, leaving significant room for growth beyond the initial $423 million commitment.

In total, the master-planned site could have as many as five major phases. A construction timetable for the following phases is still being finalized. Upon full buildout of the site, Gallo's total investment is expected to surpass $1 billion and create over 1,000 jobs over the course of several decades.

Kaepp said Gallo has hired just shy of 80 workers thus far and will have another cohort of around 30 employees coming in November. The hiring process has been constant in recent months and will continue to move quickly, Kaepp said.

"We have much, much bigger plans for South Carolina in the future," Gallo's Rob Donoho said on Friday. "In the future, we envision have many more buildings similar to this over the decades to come. We see tremendous growth opportunities in South Carolina."

Gallo's announcement last year came after it secured incentives packages and S.C. lawmakers changed the state's alcohol laws for Gallo's operations. The project has widely been seen as a transformative one for Chester County and Fort Lawn, the tiny town with a population under 1,000.

McMaster said Friday was a "glorious day" for S.C. because of Gallo's investment. Friday's ceremony was McMaster's second visit in as many days to the S.C. portion of the Charlotte region. He attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for Nutramax Laboratories' latest expansion in Lancaster.

McMaster echoes the confidence of other local leaders that Gallo's investment could kickstart more development momentum along I-77 between Charlotte and Columbia. He and other state and local leaders have compared Gallo's potential impact on the I-77 corridor to that of BMW's on the I-85 corridor between Greenville and Charlotte.

"This is a great step forward not only for the state, but for this area," McMaster said.

Construction of a California wine giant’s facility in Chester County, SC, will begin Wednesday. State officials say the project is a significant step toward revitalizing a poor former mill town.

Gov. Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Department of Commerce announced Tuesday E&J Gallo Winery, the largest family-owned winery in the United States, is officially coming to the small Chester town of Fort Lawn.

The facility will provide bottling and canning as well as warehousing and distribution. It is the company’s first facility on the east coast.

The project is on track to be completed by October of 2022, a press release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce said.

The facility will be on 650 acres between Lancaster Highway and Catawba Creek Road, said Robert Long, Chester economic development director.

Gallo has invested $423 million in the project, which is estimated to create 496 new jobs over the next eight years.

According to census data, 17.7% of citizens in Chester County live in poverty, compared to the United States average of 10.5%. Employment in Chester dropped 8% from 2019 to 2020, data shows.

“Gallo’s $423 million investment and the 496 new jobs in Chester County will transform the region,” SC Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt said in a statement Tuesday.

Lawmakers and local officials believe this project will bring economic progress all over Chester County.

“Fort Lawn is one of those communities that was hit hard by the textile mills,” Long said, which is the story in most towns in Chester County. The small town, which was chosen for its proximity to railroads, will benefit greatly from this new venture, he said. “This is a once in a decade project.”

McMaster said in a press release that the “Gallo’s investment will transform Chester County and contribute greatly to South Carolina’s economic prosperity. Creating a business environment in which world-class brands can grow and thrive is critical to South Carolina’s long-term economic success, especially in our rural communities.

Fort Lawn Mayor Carlton Martin said the project is just what the town needed. “We are confident this will attract other companies to join in what is sure to be great things for the Fort Lawn community.”

In May, the governor signed into law a measure tweaking the state’s alcohol legislation, and green-lighting the Gallo project.

Representatives for Gallo had said they would not proceed with the project until the measure was passed, The State reported in March.

The legislation, will allow Gallo to open three off-site tasting rooms and sell customers up to six bottles of wine. The facility is required to close at 5:30 p.m. to avoid competition with local businesses.

This story was originally published June 15, 2021, 1:07 PM.

California-based wine giant E&J Gallo approached South Carolina officials last March with a proposal: the company wanted to build its first East Coast facility in Fort Lawn, a small town in Chester County.

By June, the company broke ground and started construction on a facility that will provide bottling, canning, warehousing and distribution. Gallo will have invested $423 million in the project that is estimated to create 496 jobs over the next eight years.

Gallo is the largest family-owned winery in the United States. Officials have predicted this investment will be a game changer for Fort Lawn and Chester County. The areas have struggled economically since the textile industry declined and left mill towns in depression.

The project also could be life-changing for people in neighboring Lancaster county. Fort Lawn sits right on that county’s border.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said it would “transform Chester County and contribute greatly to South Carolina’s economic prosperity.”

The county’s Economic Development Director, Robert Long, called it a “once in a lifetime project.” In economic development, he said, you step up to the plate often. With Gallo, Chester hit a home run, he said.

The company will pay $21 an hour.

Census data from 2018-2019 shows the average person in Chester County made $22,324 that year, which amounts to about $11.63 an hour for a 40-hour week. The new jobs and higher wages will be key.

Gallo is estimated, after incentives, to pay $17.8 million in property taxes over the first 10 years, and $38.5 million within 20 years. And when all 496 jobs are filled, the Fort Lawn site’s payroll will be about $21.7 million a year, Long said.

Chester County certainly stands to gain. But why did Gallo choose this small, rural town? This is what we know.

Fort Lawn sits on the Chester County-Lancaster County border.

“From a talent recruitment perspective, it puts us in a good position,” Long said.

Being able to recruit from neighboring counties is a big part of attracting companies to Chester County, Long said.

Also significant is Chester County’s location about equidistant between Columbia and Charlotte, as well as its proximity to York County, all areas that have seen significant growth in recent years.

Fort Lawn’s location makes it easy to transport goods.

The name “Chester County” is strategically placed on the Lancaster & Chester railroad, nicknamed L&C, which Long says is an incentive.

According to the Gulf and Ohio Railways website — the company that owns the L&C railroad — the railroad “provides South Carolina and the Charlotte region with a strong transportation ally for industrial growth.” The railroad provides dual-rail access to 3000 acres of industrially-zoned property.

The Chester County site also will have easy access to Interstate 77, allowing shipment of products and direct commutes for employees, Long said.

South Carolina Highway 9 also goes directly through Fort Lawn and connects the town directly to North Carolina (where the highway becomes N.C. 9), and extends as far east as North Myrtle Beach.

And, S.C. 9 connects Fort Lawn to the town of Lancaster, where most of the infrastructure for the Gallo project is in place. The project will utilize Lancaster County’s water, electric, gas and sewage services.

The state and county offered Gallo financial incentives.

The state of South Carolina offers discretionary incentive packages — programs designed to persuade investors to come. In Gallo’s case, representatives from the Department of Commerce confirmed that the state is offering incentives in multiple areas.

Projects developed in Chester County qualify for special incentives because Chester is classified as a “Tier IV” county. This is a designation given by the S.C. Department of Revenue; the lower the county’s per capita income and unemployment rate, the higher its ranking.

Being a Tier IV county allows the state to offer more money in “job development credits.”

These credits essentially withhold taxes on new employees to reimburse the company. The Department of Commerce website says job credits are given to companies that “add value to South Carolina.”

Companies who receive these credits must provide their full-time employees with benefits, including a comprehensive health plan, and pay at least 50% of an eligible employee’s health plan premiums.

In a Tier IV county, a company can receive $25,000 per year, per job, for up to five years.

Chester’s ranking as a Tier IV county also means investors in Chester qualify for grants from the Rural Infrastructure Fund.

Rural Infrastructure Fund grants assist “qualified counties in the state’s rural areas,” by providing assistance for economic opportunities. In this case, documents show that Gallo will get a one-time Rural Infrastructure Fund grant in the form of $16,000,000 for “job development and/or product development.”

The Department of Commerce also received approval from the South Carolina Joint Bond Review Committee (which approves spending on capital expenses) to appropriate $8 million in funds for the Gallo project. This money will go to “offset costs of off-site mitigation,” Alex Clark, director of marketing and commerce at the Department of Commerce said.

The state also will give Gallo a one-time investment tax credit to offset the costs of its investment in Chester, as well as an ongoing exemption of up to $19,840,000 in sales tax -- meaning Gallo will not have to pay that. This money must go for infrastructure improvements or paying “rollback taxes” -- which are taxes applied by the state when land that was once used for agricultural purposes is transformed for a new use.

Gallo will receive a “Fee-in-Lieu of Taxes” (FILOT) agreement from the county.

Under a FILOT, the county can reduce the amount of property tax the business will pay. The FILOT agreement is set to last 30 years, early versions of the incentive package show. Over those 30 years, Gallo is estimated to save $178,194,595 in property taxes.

The company also was offered a “special source revenue credit” or SSRC. That credit will further reduce property taxes, but the business has to retain the tax savings to use for local investment or project costs.

Companies must hold up their side of the deal to keep this agreement, Long said. If they do not create the number of jobs promised, they will have to pay back a proportional amount of any tax money saved.

Gallo plans to finish building its facility by October 2022. Long predicts the jobs offered by Gallo probably will be split 50-50 between Lancaster and Chester counties.

Clark said it is difficult to rank this agreement among other incentive packages due to the intricacies involved in each agreement.

However, she said, “this project will be transformational to Chester County and the surrounding community, and will certainly have a significant impact on South Carolina’s economic prosperity.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2021, 5:48 PM.

610-639-4456

Tobie Nell Perkins works for the Herald in partnership with Report For America. She covers Chester County, the Catawba Indian Nation and general assignments. Tobie graduated from the University of Florida and has won a regional Murrow Award as well as awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Florida Society of News Editors.

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — A 79-year-old woman who was reported missing on Sept. 13 from Helms-Gordon Residential Care in Fort Lawn has been found alive, the Chester County Sheriff’s Office said.

ALSO READ: Fight involving parents, students on Chester County school bus leads to arrest, officials say

Authorities said Thursday a drone spotted Judy Pate in a wooded area along Cemetery Road, which had already been searched.

“Around 11 a.m., a group of guys looked at that map again that was reviewed a thousand times and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” said Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey. “They got our drone operator and said, ‘Let’s go down and do this,’ and it happened. There’s no doubt God led them down there.”

Family members were relieved.

“It’s really emotional because you expect the worse, but here today, we’ve come to realize that God had a plan,” said David Elliot, Pate’s nephew.

“She’s in good spirits,” Elliot said. “She was moving a little. She was found at the bottom of a ravine. A creek bed. She was talking.”

Volunteers, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter and multiple agencies helped with the search.

Pate’s pastor, Rev. Trent McLaughlin, helped with the search.

“She is a strong lady,” McLaughlin said. “She trusts God. She has faith in God and that is what we’re putting our hope and faith in that. That she’s going to be found alive and safe.”

An ambulance rushed her to a medical helicopter that flew her to the hospital to be checked out.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Pate family announced that DHEC was launching an investigation into Helms-Gordon Residential Care.

They issued a statement regarding the investigation saying:

“The Pate family has received and reviewed the results of the initial investigation into the Helms-Gordon Facility performed by DHEC. To say they are disgusted and upset with the findings would be an understatement. Helms-Gordon was cited multiple times for violations of the State imposed standards of care. The investigation indicates that Ms. Judy was missing for hours before anyone at Helms-Gordon was even aware. Furthermore, the investigation states that upon discovering that Ms. Judy was missing, Helms-Gordon waited hours before contacting the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. This delayed response to authorities is abhorrent, and unforgivable. We intend to pursue every avenue of justice to ensure that no other person or family has to undergo this type of nightmare due to the inactions of an irresponsible facility.”

VIDEO: Chester County Schools makes safety changes

The proposed facility would make the tiny town of Fort Lawn the winemaker's east coast hub—assuming it's also allowed to open some tasting rooms.

Earlier this week, the South Carolina House of Representatives approved a piece of legislation that would allow E.& J. Gallo Winery to open a bottling plant and three tasting rooms in the state. The bill's supporters say that Gallo's proposal would provide several hundred jobs for South Carolina residents, while those who oppose it worry that it will negatively affect local wineries and restaurants.

The plant—which will actually start out as a large warehouse and distribution center—is expected to employ around 500 people. It will be located in Fort Lawn (Pop. 940) a rural town in equally rural Chester County. According to Wine Searcher, one tasting room could also open in Fort Lawn, while the others are likely to be in more tourist-friendly locations like Hilton Head and Charleston.

Bringing Gallo to South Carolina requires some modifications to the state's existing liquor laws. The Johnson City Press reports that the proposed legislation, SB 619, would allow breweries, distilleries, and wineries to open "satellite locations" where they can sell their products—and that's where the tasting rooms would come in.

Each of those facilities would only be allowed to sell wine, and they would be required to close by 5:30 p.m. Although the Gallo properties would have to purchase the wines they sell from wholesalers within the state, the bill's critics say that the tasting rooms would still be detrimental to local retailers, restaurants, and smaller wineries.

"We always seem to be in a rush to fashion new laws for some shiny object coming from out of state, bend over backwards to get rid of a system that we've had in place for a number of years," Sen. Marlon Kimpson told The State. "But the local restaurants tell me that these testing rooms unnecessarily drive up the competition."

But those in favor of the bill—and of the California company's willingness to open these facilities in South Carolin—say the positives absolutely outweigh the negatives. "This is a world player choosing to locate only its second [bottling and distribution center] in this teeny town," Sen. Mike Fanning said.

The plant is expected to be constructed on around 600 acres of land in Fort Lawn, and Gallo would invest more than $400 million in the county within the next eight years. Rob Donoho, the head of Gallo's global chain functions, said that the company "actively wants" to open this facility in South Carolina. "This is really intended to be our East Coast home for the Gallo enterprise for decades and decades to come," he told legislators this spring.