Swiss Krono breaks ground for $230 million HDF mill and laminate expansion in Barnwell, S.C.

Barnwell, S.C. – Swiss Krono Group, one of the world’s leading producers of laminate flooring, and its American subsidiary, Swiss Krono SC, LLC, held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 13, 2016, for its $230 million high-density fiberboard (HDF) mill and laminate flooring production expansion. 

Swiss Krono anticipates adding 105 new highly-skilled technical and management jobs to the Barnwell area, increasing its total employment to 275 employees. The project commences this summer and HDF operations will likely begin by the summer of 2018.

This expansion will allow Swiss Krono to produce 300,000 cubic-meters of HDF per year, which the company will use for laminate flooring manufacturing operations and sell to furniture, cabinet, fixture, door and other wood-based manufacturers. In total, the project will increase the company’s annual laminate flooring capacity by an additional 8 million square-meters.

“Strong consumer demand for our quality laminate flooring drove our decision to expand,” said CEO Zeb Portanova. “And our strong retail partners who choose to sell our innovative products are the real foundation on which this expansion is built.”

The company gratefully acknowledges the collaborative efforts of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance and various Barnwell County governmental agencies. Their patience, perseverance and continuous support have been and will continue to be instrumental in the future success of this project.

The SWISS KRONO GROUP has its origins in a company founded in Menznau, Switzerland in 1966. Today it is one of the world’s leading producers of engineered wood products with more than 4,500 employees working in Switzerland, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Russia as well as in the United States.

Further information is available at www.swisskronoUSA.com.