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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>Materials Research Group, a glass manufacturer based in Rozelle, N.J., has announced plans to open a facility at the Beaufort Commerce Park, investing $3.1 million and creating 27 new jobs, according to press releases from the City of Beaufort and S.C. Governor Henry McMaster’s office.</p>
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<p>The facility, which will be 10,000 square feet with an option to expand, is expected to be completed by December 2021. The company, which was founded in 1998, specializes in manufacturing ready-to-press glass powders, glass preforms and solder glass rings. Its glass is used in aerospace, senor, automotive, medical and battery markets.</p>
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<p>“Materials Research Group is excited about our growth and our move into Beaufort,” owner Walt Reed said in a news release. “The support from the local area and the state has been excellent. We look forward to getting our operation up and running and becoming part of the Beaufort community.”</p>
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<p>The City of Beaufort, which owns the Commerce Park, worked closely with the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation to bring the company to Beaufort.</p>
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<p>Mayor Stephen Murray said, “The City of Beaufort is excited to welcome Walt Reed and his team, Materials Research Group, into the Beaufort Commerce Park. MRG is exactly the kind of innovative and environmentally sustainable manufacturing company that Team Beaufort has been working to attract. We're thankful to Beaufort County and the Beaufort County Economic Development Corp. for their work on this project."</p>
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<p>The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved a $50,000 Set-Aside grant to Beaufort County to assist with costs related to the project.</p>
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<p>“I am happy to see Materials Research Group choose our community. Investments like this, in turn, become opportunities for area residents to find meaningful employment,” Beaufort County Councilman Gerald Dawson said in a release. “Thank you to the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, the SouthernCarolina Alliance, my fellow council members and the team that made this happen.”</p>
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<p>City Manager Bill Prokop said, “This is another step for the City in diversifying our workforce and bringing new industry to our Commerce Park. We thank the Beaufort Economic Development Corporation for their assistance and in locating this company and working with us to finalize a good program to attract them to Beaufort.”</p>
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<p>The Beaufort Commerce Park, which is owned by the City of Beaufort, is comprised of 196 acres just off U.S. Highway 21 and S.C. Highway 116. It is 20 minutes from Interstate 95, and a short distance to Charleston and Savannah international airports and ports.</p>
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<p>Materials Research Group will be joining Glass WRX SC at the Commerce Park. Glass WRX, which manufactures products made from recycled glass, is renovating an existing facility, and is expected to hold a ribbon cutting in the near future. Glass WRX is expected to create 63 jobs over five years.</p>
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<p>The Economic Development Corporation is also working with Magnus Development Partners, which has begun construction on a spec building at the Beaufort Commerce Park. The building, at 64,000 square feet, will offer flexible layouts and options to subdivide to as small as 16,000 square feet.</p>
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<p>Individuals interested in joining the Materials Research Group team should visit the company’s contact page at https://www.materialsresearchgroup.com/contact.html.</p>
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