FLORENCE, S.C. — Electric vehicle battery maker AESC told the public this week that its plan for Florence County is still alive, even as work at its unfinished plant off Wilson Road sits idle.
Company and economic development officials say AESC still intends to put $1.6 billion into the county. The company offered a short written pledge to deliver on its commitments, but it did not give a date for crews to return or a new schedule for hiring.
Building at the site has been stopped since June 2025, with the company pointing to shifting policy and market conditions. In February, spokesperson Brad Grantham said there was no firm timeline to resume, while noting that more than $1 billion had already been spent in Florence and that the company still planned 1,600 jobs once conditions improved.
Local officials said in December 2025 that the plant was roughly 75% complete, with about $1.2 billion invested, and that major construction and hiring could pick back up within eight to 12 months.
The state and AESC also teamed up on a worker training center along Highway 327. That $22 million building is finished and has served other companies while the plant waits.
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