The strength of a community lies within its existing industry base, and there are no more important companies than those that already call our community their home. Over two-thirds of our region’s new capital investment and job creation originates from expanding industry, which indicates a strong sense of satisfaction from our existing companies.
Aiken and Edgefield counties have the resources in place for industries to succeed: an intelligent and diligent workforce, low operating costs, several forums for training employees, a business-friendly local government, easy access to large markets, and an excellent transportation infrastructure for moving both supplies and finished products. Our region has established itself as a home for manufacturing, as illustrated by the companies that operate within the area.
Our local manufacturing base is broad, including Fortune 500 companies such as Kimberly Clark Corporation, Carlisle Tire & Wheel, Automatic Switch Company (Emerson Electric), Pepperidge Farm (Campbell Soup Company), Owens Corning and BAE Systems.
While this list represents all area manufacturers and select service companies with 15 or more employees, Aiken and Edgefield counties have an equally diverse group of smaller manufacturers. Information on those manufacturers is available upon request.
| Company | Employees | Products |
| Westinghouse Savannah River Company• | 10000 | Materials for Nuclear Defense |
| Avondale Mills Inc.– Graniteville Division | 2300 | Cloth Manufacturing, Dyeing & Finishing Cotton, Fabric and Blends |
| Kimberly-Clark Corporation• | 1005 | Consumer Paper Products |
| Bridgestone-Firestone South Carolina# | 918 | Car and Truck Tires |
| Global Containment Systems | (800 expected) | Filters and Custom Containment of Airborne Nuclear Containment |
| Advanced Glassfiber Yarn* | 600 | Fiberglass Insulation & Circuit Boards |
| Shaw Industries | 570 | Carpet Yarns |
| Urban Outfitters | 210 (500 jobs expected) | Clothing Distribution & Order Processing |
| The Ohio Brass - Hubbell Power Systems | 380 | High Voltage Insulators and Arrestors |
| United Parcel Service | 365 | International Customhouse Brokerage |
| TTX – Hamburg Division | 358 | Rebuilt Railway Cars |
| ASCO Valve Manufacturing• | 350 | Aluminum Valves |
| Newman Technology South Carolina# | 310 | Automobile/ATV Exhaust & Suspension Systems |
| GlaxoSmithKline# | 280 (projected 320 in 2006) | Proprietary Drugs & Hygiene |
| Carlisle Tire & Wheel Company• * | 277 | Rims and Tires for Riding Mowers |
| Washington Safety Management Solutions | 246 +45 incl. subcontractors | Engineering Consulting Firm Solutions |
| R. E. Phelon, Inc.* | 260 | Alum. Flywheels & Ignition Systems |
| Milliken and Company | 250 | Synthetic Fabrics |
| PACTIV Corp. | 230 | Plastic Food Service Plates |
| Mount Vernon Mills, Inc.– Riegel | 225 | Infant Blankets, Crib Items, and Diapers |
| BAE Systems# | 200 | Machined Parts for Tracked Vehicles |
| SCANA Energy | 180 | Customer Service Center |
| Iverson Perennial Gardens, Inc. | 160 | Nursery Products |
| National Wild Turkey Federation | 156 | Conservation and Management of American Wild Turkey |
| Menardi/Beacon Filtration | 150 | Industrial Filtration Media |
| Trenton Plastic Products | 150 projected | Plastic Products |
| Halocarbon Products Corporation | 135 | Specialty Fluoro Chemicals |
| Southern Felt Company# | 130 | Felt Goods |
| Pepperidge Farm, Inc.• | 125 | Stuffing Products, Retail Bread |
| Cytec Surface Specialties-North Augusta# | 122 | Specialty Chemicals, Resins, and Powder Coatings |
| Trantech Radiator Products | 103 | Cooling Radiators for Transformers |
| SC Metal Products LLC | 100 jobs expected | Metal Stampings, Split Steel Pulleys, Sprockets, Welded Assemblies |
| Exel, Inc | 100 | Distribution Center for Plastic and Paper Products |
| Aiken Standard | 95 | Newspapers |
| Metso Paper USA, Inc.# | 94 | Roll Coverings for Paper & Textile Industry |
| Owens-Corning | 90 | Fiberglass Mat |
| Parkdale America | 86 | Cotton and Cotton-Blend Yarns |
| A S Tees | 60 | Tee Shirts |
| Arnco Corporation | 54 | Plastic Conduit |
| Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Company | 49 | Mining and Beneficating of Kaolin Clays |
| Restmaster Bedding Co. Inc. | 48 | Mattresses, Box springs |
| Rieter Automotive Systems# | 48 | Automotive Acoustical & Heat Shields |
| Progress Rail Services Corp. | 48 | Reconditioned Cushioning Units for Rail Industry, Wheelsets & Axles Plating |
| BOC Gases# | 45 | Industrial Gases |
| Aiken Industries | 45 | Women’s Sportswear |
| Southeastern Clay Company | 38 | Kaolin Clay |
| Dixie Clay Company | 37 | Airfloated Kaolin |
| Coca-Cola Bottling Company | 36 | Carbonated Beverage Bottling |
| Southeastern Tool Co. | 34 | Custom Built and Designed Machinery |
| Augusta Concrete Block | 32 | Concrete Block, Precast Concrete Products |
| Cytec Surface Specialties – Langley# | 32 | Adhesives, Resins, and Sealants |
| Precise Machine Works | 26 | Custom Built Parts and Machinery |
| Washington Government Services Group• * | 25 | High-Technology Management, Operations and Environmental Services |
| W.R. Grace Davison – Kaolin Products | 25 | Industrial Ground Clays Plants |
| Ferguson Industries | 25 | Remanufactured Spindles |
| B & S Machine Tool, Inc. | 21 | Precision Machining and Metal Fabrication |
| Aiken Precision Technologies# | 21 +4 P/T | Cold-Forged Steel Components for Auto Industry |
| Thyssen Krupp Steel Services# | 20 | Steel and Aluminum Coil and Sheet |
| Federal Express | 19 | Package Distribution |
| Bondex | 18 | Laser Printer and Copier Components |
| Augusta Air Brake & Rail Car Parts Co. | 15 | Railway Brake Repair |
| Shinsho American Corporation# | 10 | Processed Steel Rods for Roller Bearings Industry |
