A Swedish company has received the go-ahead to move to Lexington County, bringing plans for a $13.5 million investment and 170 new manufacturing jobs.

WiJo Pouches North America, Inc. was approved on third and final reading at a recent Lexington County Council meeting, enabling the nicotine pouch manufacturer to soon call the Midlands home, with plans to move to Burton Road near Interstate 20, not far from American Leadership Academy Lexington.

“As a long-standing member of the South Carolina business community for more than 25 years, I am honored to lead WiJo Pouches NA here in the Midlands,” WiJo Pouches North America CEO Jerry Sweetland said in a press release. “We sincerely appreciate the support and partnership of the South Carolina Department of Commerce and Lexington County Economic Development, whose guidance made selecting Lexington the clear and strategic choice. We look forward to the future, to WiJo’s continued growth, and to being a valued and collaborative contributor to the regional business community.”

Formerly known as Project Columbus, this economic development project underwent a unanimous second reading with the county council on Oct. 28 and a public hearing on Oct. 14; no one spoke against the project during the public meeting.

“Headquartered in Sweden, WiJo Pouches NA is a full-service, global contract manufacturer of premium quality, next-generation pouches,” according to a Nov. 25 press release from the Office of Gov. Henry McMaster. “The company offers prototyping, scalable production and market compliance support for customers.”

With plans to lease a 55,000-square-foot facility at 381 Burton Rd. in Lexington, WiJo will “provide contract manufacturing for nicotine, caffeine and functional pouches.”

“WiJo Pouches’ decision to launch its first U.S. operation right here in Lexington County is a tremendous win for our community and a powerful endorsement of our global competitiveness,” Lexington County Council Chairman M. Todd Cullum said in the release. “This FDI investment brings 170 high-quality jobs, new economic activity, and a clear signal that international companies see Lexington County as a place where they can thrive. We are thrilled to welcome WiJo Pouches to our growing international business community and look forward to a long, successful partnership.”

The location is expected to be operational by March 2026, and job hunters can visit the company’s website to learn more.

“Welcoming another international manufacturer to South Carolina further strengthens our thriving business community,” McMaster said in the release. “WiJo Pouches NA’s new facility, along with the 170 new jobs it creates in Lexington County, will provide opportunities that greatly benefit our state and people for years to come.”

This project comes shortly after some other manufacturing companies, including Cardiff Products, AllTape Adhesive Manufacturing and Techo-Bloc, also went before the county council as significant economic development projects.

Formerly known as Project Mirror, Cardiff Products USA LLC, a Canadian beverage manufacturing company, was approved to move to Saxe Gotha Industrial Park, bringing 94 jobs and promises of a minimum investment of $99.6 million to Lexington County over the next five years, according to late 2024 reporting from the Chronicle.

Formerly known as Project Aqua, Alltape Adhesive Manufacturer Inc., an adhesives company that produces in Germany, the United Kingdom and the U.S., was approved to move to Saxe Gotha Industrial Park, bringing 130 jobs and a $70 million investment, according to early 2025 reporting from the Chronicle.

Formerly known as Project Terrace, Techo-Bloc Corporation, a Canadian landscaping products supplier, was approved to move to a private parcel on Dixiana Road in Cayce near Saxe Gotha Industrial Park, bringing promises of a $45 million investment and 46 jobs, according to May 2025 reporting from the Chronicle.

The three locations are under construction.