Koppers hosts tour of South Carolina tie plant

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Representatives from the offices of Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Tim Scott (R-SC) joined representatives from GoRail and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) on April 5 to tour Koppers' rail tie manufacturing facility in Florence, S.C.

 

While on the tour, the senators representatives learned about the rail and manufacturing communities in the Pee Dee region and discussed public policy priorities for the industries.

Led by S. Doug Lowe, plant manager, the group toured the 210-acre site where Koppers employs more than 80 people and produces crossties, switch ties, bridge material and preplated crossties as well as utility poles and piling.

“Koppers has been committed to the Pee Dee area since 1946 and we are thrilled to be able to represent a piece of the expanding rail and manufacturing industries here in South Carolina,” said Lowe. “With our focus on safety and quality in the rail industry, we welcomed the opportunity to host GoRail, REMSA and Sens. Graham and Scott come to discuss public policies that affect us all.”

The group advocated for support of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act (BRACE). The BRACE act will allow the nation’s small, local freight railroads to increase their reinvestments to upgrade and expand the “first and last mile” of transportation infrastructure, benefitting South Carolina shippers that depend on affordable freight access.

“Railroads are spending massive amounts of private dollars – $600 billion since 1980 – on the nationwide rail network that helps connect South Carolina businesses to the country and beyond,” said Christy Sammon, state director for GoRail. “These continued investments then not only propel the economy, they are also critical to supporting the rail, maintenance-of-way and manufacturing industries, like we see here at Koppers.”

In South Carolina, 15 freight railroads operate and maintain more than 2,300 miles of track and employ more than 1,700 individuals.

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