<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>

A Charleston-based recycling company planning to move its manufacturing division to Beaufort County has received a $200,000 grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce.

Glass WRX SC, which makes kitchen countertops and other products out of recycled glass, was awarded the grant at a presentation held at Beaufort’s Waterfront Park on Friday, June 5.

The company announced last summer it would be moving its manufacturing arm to northern Beaufort County and plans to create between 45 to 50 jobs over the next five years, for a total investment of $10 million.

It is also in the process of retrofitting and moving into an 84,000 square-foot building at 302 Parker Drive, once occupied by manufacturer Parker Hannifin. The building has been empty since 2015, city officials noted on Friday.

The grant was given by the commerce department’s economic development arm, or the S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development, and is given for work already completed.

The site is currently under construction and the company will begin installing equipment in the next few weeks, company officials said.

Hiring will also begin in the next few months, starting with maintenance personnel. The goal is to open in February of 2021.

Founded in 1992 by Chris Fisher, the company makes countertops and other products out of recycled glass it collects from across South Carolina and Georgia and is looking to expand into air and water filtration systems, road surfaces and construction materials.

“We are going to open up a one-of-a-kind glass manufacturing plant,” said the company’s CEO Chris Fisher. “…We look forward to becoming a staple in the business community and in Beaufort for years to come.”

<em>Glass WRX owner and CEO Chris Fisher, third from right in front, was presented with a "Coordinating Council for Economic Development Grant” for $200,000 from the S.C. Department of Commerce on Friday. Members of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, City Council and others were on hand for the presentation. Photo by Mindy Lucas.</em>