Alkane Truck Co., an original equipment manufacturer of commercial alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), is establishing new Lowcountry manufacturing operations in Dorchester County, and the facility is expected to create over 300 jobs in Summerville, S.C. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Alkane specializes in building trucks that run on propane autogas, compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas.
The company recently announced a new line of alternative fuel vehicles: the Alkane Class 7 cab-over truck. Once full production of these trucks begins in the first quarter of 2016, they will be sold throughout the company’s network of approximately 130 truck dealership locations in the U.S. and Canada.
To produce the new product line, Alkane is leasing an existing manufacturing facility in Summerville. According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, which has hailed Alkane’s decision, the 100,000-square-foot facility will employ more than 300 automotive technicians once it reaches full capacity within the next two years.
“A testament to the loyal, world-class workforce in South Carolina, Alkane’s investment in Dorchester County is a significant win for our manufacturing industry, the Lowcountry community and the entire state,” says Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, in a press release.
