China based memory foam mattress company Mlily is slated to open in Fairfield County, the company will create at least 250 jobs. Founded in Jiangsu, China in 2003, Mlily is the first publicly-traded, memory-foam mattress manufacturer in China and is now the largest manufacturer in that country. Becoming a global industry leader, the company has established production operations in both Serbia and Spain, with approximately 3,600 workers worldwide. President James Ni wrote in a statement about the opening of the new location, “We’re happy to be establishing this new facility in Fairfield County, and we are very appreciative of the ongoing support from both the local and state governments. This is a milestone for our company, and we are excited to support the community we will soon be calling home.” Governor McMaster, and the South Carolina Department of Commerce announced the company is going to invest $45 million to open a 650,000- square-foot facility in Winnsboro. Fairfield county was awarded $300,000 dollar grant by the states Coordinating Council for Economic Development for the renovations of the facility that once housed Mack Truck.

The Fairfield Post reached out to Ty Davenport, Fairfield County Economic Development Director, about the new company, “Mlily first looked at Fairfield County because they needed a large building. Fortunately, the former Mack Truck Plant was available. Although the building was very important, the company also wanted to locate in a community that had good people who want to work for a good company,” Davenport said. Fairfield County has many hardworking men and women who are looking for a career that will give them and their families an opportunity to have a better life. Also, the company wanted to be in a place where they could get help with training. South Carolina and Midlands Technical College have a great training programs that helps companies and new employees get Started.”

We asked Davenport about the timeline, “We have been meeting with Mlily for 12 months. Companies that plan to invest $45 million usually take their time to make sure they are making a good decision.” He also shared the benefits of having the company come to Fairfield County. “There will be many benefits. Families will have more money to meet their needs. Employees will spend money in stores and restaurants so these businesses may have to add new employees creating even more jobs. Large employers pay a lot more taxes than family households. This will mean more money for schools, firefighters, police and other county services. There will be more job opportunities for high school students, technical college and college graduates.”

The company estimates eight to twelve months of renovations. The warehouse may open before the manufacturing gets started.Some parts will be running as early as December 2019 but the entire buildout will take eighteen months. This is a great win for the county with up to 250 new jobs paying on average $15-17 an hour.