By Dan McCue
Staff Writer

MOUNT PLEASANT -- BP Barber, a Columbia-based civil and environmental engineering services firm, has been awarded the contract for the due diligence work on Jafza South Carolina LLC's 1,300-acre parcel in Orangeburg.

No financial details about the contract have been announced, but John Peake, BP Barber's vice president, said the company will be assisting Jafza with site surveying, wetland and other environmental studies.

"Jafza's investment in Orangeburg County and South Carolina will create opportunities for the growth of engineering related companies who may not otherwise have access to such sizable and important projects," Peake said.

"Jafza's commitment is going to create numerous opportunities for job creation for those who are seeking local employment opportunities."

Founded in 1916 as the Tomlinson Engineering Co., BP Barber is one of the oldest and largest civil engineering firms in the Southeast. In addition to its Columbia headquarters, the company also maintains offices in North Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Savannah, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C.

Jafza's facility near the town of Santee in Orangeburg County is projected to create 8,000 to 10,000 jobs over the next decade and, after an initial investment of $600 million, is anticipated to attract an additional private investment of about $1.2 billion.

"This project is the cornerstone of Jafza's venture into the United States," said Chuck Heath, Jafza International's managing director and senior vice president. "One critical element is to make South Carolina part of a wider network of logistics and distribution parks."

A big part of the Jafza's vision for its Orangeburg site is the integration of public parks and baseball fields and the like to give the facility an overall "campus" feel.

BP Barber's work will in part, lay the foundation for those attributes as well as the creation of nature trails and other green space, Peake said.