Jun 19 2008
DuPont employees, local and state government leaders and customers recently gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new DuPont™ Kevlar® plant at the Cooper River plant in South Carolina. DuPont Chairman and CEO Chad Holliday and S.C. Governor Mark Sanford made remarks.
DuPont leaders, including Chad Holliday (third from left), and Governor Sanford (second from left) break ground at the Cooper River site.
Chad discussed the company’s commitment to protecting the environment and said that DuPont has lived up to that commitment as evidenced by its long-time partnership with Cypress Gardens -- a local nature preserve and gardens -- which is adjacent to the plant. “Industry can work in great harmony with the environment,” Chad said.
“DuPont has more than 200 manufacturing plants around the world and they could have chosen anywhere else to build this Kevlar® plant, but they chose South Carolina and we’re very excited about that,” said Governor Sanford. “Not many people can say they work for a company that makes a product that saves lives.”
Tom Powell, vice president and general manager, DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems; and Dan Davis, supervisor, Berkeley County; also spoke. The ceremony featured displays of products that are made with Kevlar®, including a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle and a high-performance fishing boat with a laminate of Kevlar®. The official replica of the DuPont No. 24 car driven by NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon also was on display.
The new plant will manufacture high-performance Kevlar® fiber for industrial and military use and is scheduled to open in 2010.