Red Ventures announced Tuesday, Aug. 7, it has purchased 16 additional acres adjacent to its headquarters with the goal of doubling its workforce over the coming five years.
According to the announcement, the company will begin construction of its third building by the end of the year, a move that will allow the company to hire an additional 1,000 employees.
The direct-marketing company currently employs nearly 1,000 employees at its 17-acre, 150,000 square-foot center in the 521 Corporate Center Park in Indian Land.
“We are thrilled to be able to add this adjacent land to our campus,” Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias said. “The next few years will be full of challenges and opportunities and we are hoping to double the size of our current workforce.
“This additional land will allow us to grow, while also maintaining the unique, employee-friendly environment we’ve created,” he said.
The expansion follows a growth trend for Red Ventures that began locally in 2009 when the company opened in Indian Land with 300 employees. The release said Red Ventures company officials expect to see 30 percent growth this year.
“South Carolina continues to be the place where companies can prosper, and Red Ventures’ announcement today in Indian Land is another indication of that,” said Gov. Nikki Haley. “We look forward to the company’s continued growth in our state.”
Plans for the new building will allow the company to expand its employee amenities, the company said, which already includes an indoor basketball court, track, fitness center, locker rooms, putting green and a gourmet café with subsidized meals.
Red Ventures has twice been named the best place to work in the Charlotte region and twice ranked among the 20 fastest-growing companies on the Inc. 500 list.
Lancaster County Council Chairwoman Kathy Sistare said the announcement was good news.
“As we continue to diversify our local economy, Red Ventures will play an integral part in the development of local talent that will lead to successful, high-paying careers for our residents – especially the youth entering the workforce who are excellent candidates for positions with Red Ventures,” Sistare said.
Lancaster County Economic Development Corp. President Keith Tunnell said while the expansion will be an undeniable benefit to the county, the key to increasing the number of local employees at the company is training.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we need training centers. And I’ll think we’ll get it done,” Tunnell said. “I think there needs to be a concerted effort and a plan to create a career path for Red Ventures.
“We need K-12 training programs and improve upon what we have in place already with WorkSC and York Tech, even if that means bringing in outside training programs,” Tunnell said.
For details on career opportunities at the company, visit www.redventures.com.
By Reece Murphy, Staff Reporter with The Lancaster News
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