How incentives could help Horry County apparel company add jobs as it expands to Loris
The Western apparel retailer Wild West of Myrtle Beach is expanding its operations, opening a warehouse in Loris that will employ 40 people, state and county officials announced Wednesday.
The company has sold leather boots, jackets and other Western-like apparel in Horry County for 25 years, opening its first store in Conway in 1996 and expanding to Surfside Beach in 2013. In its move to Loris, Wild West will open a 50,000-square-foot distribution center to support the online sales of its products. The move is expected to bring a $2.5 million investment to the county, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce in a news release.
The company’s move to Loris also will come with significant economic incentives from both the state and Horry County. The Department of Commerce said the company can receive up to $100,000 to offset capital costs associated with the move, according to a news release.
The company can receive an additional $50,000 from Horry County to offset costs, provided it meets certain requirements.
Sandy Davis, the president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation, said if the company hires 20 of the promised 40 jobs, and builds out half of its investment, the county will pay the company $25,000 to offset capital costs, like buying equipment.
Once the company hires the other 20 jobs and finishes its investment, the county will pay the additional $25,000, also to be used to offset capital expenses.
Wild West must complete its build-out within five years and then remain open for at least another two years to be able to receive and keep the money. Davis said the state’s incentives work in a similar way.
“I’m just excited because they’ve been in our area for a long time,” Davis said Wednesday. “We feel like this is a company that deserves to have some incentives, a small reward, for having a company that’s operated in Horry County as long as they have.”
Davis added that Horry County will earn back more than what it is spending in the incentive package from taxes the company will pay. The company is expected to pay nearly $264,000 in taxes to Horry County over the lifetime of the seven-year deal that’s carrying the incentives.
Horry County Council members had to vote to approve the incentive package. They approved the incentives July 13, voting after an executive session to approve what they referred to as “Project Llama.” Council members voted 11-0 to approve the package, with one member absent.
Details of new location
Wild West will be located in the building that Accent Stainless Steel occupied on Ralph Ellis Boulevard in Loris.
Accent Stainless Steel made headlines six years ago when the company promised to build a new 58,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, hire more than 60 people and pay more than $22 per hour to welders who would help make equipment for breweries.
But in November 2018, Accent Stainless Steel closed abruptly after a Canadian company acquired the firm, leaving both local officials and employees confused by the sudden shutdown.
Like Wild West, Accent Stainless Steel received incentives when it located to Loris. Loris, for example, waived an impact fee and other infrastructure requirements. If the company had been successful, it would have received job development credits as well.
Under that deal, the company would have received $80,000 after it hired 20 employees, and more payments later, though it never reached the 20-employee threshold.
According to Davis, some of the jobs at the new Wild West facility won’t pay as highly as the Accent Stainless Steel manufacturing jobs, but could still help boost the Loris economy.
The jobs at the distribution center will pay a base wage of $12.50 per hour, plus benefits like healthcare and a retirement savings plan. Those jobs will not require prerequisites for a person to get hired. Davis said the company is also hiring skilled jobs to work at the distribution center, including those in digital marketing and accounting.
The Department of Commerce’s news release said people can apply to work at Wild West through the state’s SC Works website.
“Usually we will not recruit (a company) at that level but I will say that because it’s Loris…those wages are competitive for unskilled work with benefits,” Davis said.
Industrial park growth
Mark Causey, the County Council member who represents the Loris area, said he is excited to see Loris’ industrial park grow.
“I think it’s good, it should produce a good bit of jobs and they’re going to offer some benefits,” Causey said. “It’s all good news for Loris.”
Austin Worley, the president of Wild West, said in a statement Wednesday that he was born in Loris and raised in nearby Tabor City, N.C. Worley’s parents owned and operated the retail clothing store Worley’s Clothing throughout the 1980s and 1990s with locations in both Loris and Tabor City, he said.
“My family and I are extremely excited to bring Wild West to the Loris area and continue to grow our business in Horry County,” Worley said. “Choosing the Loris Commerce Park for our expansion feels like things have come full circle. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to come home and contribute to this great community.”
Other officials celebrated the expansion on Wednesday.
“We are always thrilled to see one of our existing family-owned businesses grow its presence in our state,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. “We celebrate Wild West’s decision to expand and create 40 new jobs in Horry County, and we look forward to their continued growth.”
Added Johnny Gardner, the chairman of Horry County Council: “We are honored to have Wild West announce its third purchase in our county. Small businesses are a huge asset to Horry County, and we appreciate Wild West and their trust in our community.”