Xinhua, Columbia :
Born and raised in Alabama, Al Leftwich had never thought of leaving his home state. But one day in April this year, he and his family packed up their whole life and drove northeast to Columbia, capital of South Carolina.
The reason? He had decided to join a fledgling company, China Jushi USA Corporation.
“A big decision to move here, but I am very happy,” the 51-year-old said, as he stood at Jushi’s dusty construction site with a safety vest and a helmet on.
The company covered his relocation fee and made him the leader of the plant’s safety program, which Leftwich saw as an advancement in his career.
Jushi, meaning “giant stone” in Chinese, is the second largest fiberglass supplier in North America.
Started in Zhejiang, China, 25 years ago, the company is now establishing its first U.S. manufacturing plant in the Pineview Industrial Park in Richland County.
As the first tenant in the industrial park, Jushi USA plans to invest 300 million U.S. dollars and hire 400 workers once it is in full operation at the end of 2018.
