Augusta Fiberglass Expanding in South Carolina

Corrosion-resistant equipment company Augusta Fiberglass Coatings Inc. is expanding its Blackville, S.C., facility.

Augusta will invest $625,000 in the project, which includes constructing a 12,000-square-foot facility and boosting manufacturing capacity

"We are delighted to be able to expand our operations in South Carolina to better serve our customers while investing in the local community where our business was founded," said John Boyd, Augusta's president and founder, in an Oct. 16 news release.

Augusta makes a range of fiberglass-reinforced plastic ducts, tanks, towers and similar equipment used in chemical processing plants, power plants and other markets where corrosive chemicals or emissions are prevalent. FRP equipment is more cost effective than comparable metal components.

Augusta, founded in 1974, claims on its website to have made the world's largest FRP vessel in 2005. The vessel, a power plant flue gas scrubber, has a diameter of 119 feet and height of 55 feet. It also said it built North America's biggest FRP column in 2007. The column is 750 feet tall with a 38-foot diameter.

Eight years ago, Augusta extended its product line to include dual laminate fabrication when it bought B&D Plastics of Ocean Springs, Miss. Two years after the purchase, B&D made the largest dual-laminate vessel in the world.

In 2016, Augusta and B&D expanded into Angleton, Texas. The new office has focused on field repairs and modification but a fabrication shop is eventually planned for the site.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster lauded Augusta's expansion plans for Blackville.

"This sends a signal to the whole world that our state is open for business."