COLUMBIA -- The S.C. Department of Commerce joined the Sumter Development Board and Custom Fibers Inc. in announcing the company’s plans for a new manufacturing facility in Sumter. Custom Fibers will manufacture polyester fiber used in automotive, furniture and carpet applications; it expects to begin operations in the spring of 2008.

"We are excited about locating our manufacturing operations in Sumter, and we look forward to working with the community and growing our business," said H.B. Chung, president of Custom Fibers. This industry has seen an almost 20% increase in demand over the past several years. The Sumter facility will help the company meet this growing demand.

“As businesses work smarter to develop operations in strategic locations, South Carolina continues to be an ideal choice. Once again, our state’s business friendly climate, access to markets, quality work force, and excellent infrastructure are opening doors and working to grow our economy,” said Joe Taylor, state secretary of commerce.

Custom Fibers Inc. supplies products for BMW, Hyundai, GM, Ford, Ashley Furniture and various carpet manufacturers. The company’s products can also be found in pillow-stuffing and toys.

Custom Fibers Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bookwang Industries Corp., based in Ulsan-City, Korea.