Lockhart Power Chief Operating Officer Bryan Stone presents Union County Supervisor Tommy Sinclair with a check for $100,000 Wednesday afternoon. The county will use the money to make infrastructure improvements to its newest industrial park. The presentation was made at the Union County Development Board office and was also attended by Development Board Chairman Joe Nichols and Executive Director Andrena Powell-Baker. Charles Warner photo/Times

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Union County will use a $100,000 donation from Lockhart Power to make infrastructure improvements to a county industrial park that includes the new ESAB manufacturing facility.

Lockhart Power Chief Operating Officer Bryan Stone presented Union County Supervisor Tommy Sinclair with a check for $100,000 at the Union County Development Board office Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re giving a hundred thousand dollars for general infrastructure improvements at the Midway Green Industrial Park,” Stone said.

Union County Development Board Executive Director Andrena Powell-Baker said the Midway Green Industrial Park is approximately 250 acres in size and centered around the old Milliken Midway plant. Powell-Baker said the park was recently certified through the SC Department of Commerce Site Certification Program. She said the certification means the county now has another industrial park it can market to industry.

“We have a new industrial site to market that’s ready for development,” Powell-Baker said.

The park is already home to the new ESAB Welding and Cutting manufacturing facility which is located in the old Midway plant. Powell-Baker said the county will use the funds donated by Lockhart Power to make improvements to Midway Drive which serves the ESAB plant and the rest of the industrial park.

“We certainly appreciate Lockhart Power’s faith in our future by investing that $100,000 for infrastructure improvements in the industrial park area,” Sinclair said. “We expect to start improvements very soon.”

Powell-Baker said Lockhart’s donation is the latest the company has made to support economic development in Union County. She said Lockhart has also provided support to the county for the ongoing development of the Trakas industrial site on US 176.

“We have forged excellent partnerships with the utility companies that serve our community,” Powell-Baker said. “We certainly appreciate Lockhart Power’s contribution to economic development in Union County.”