NUPI founder visits Hampton County

NUPI Americas is closing in on one year of operations in its new facility at the SouthernCarolina Industrial Campus in Early Branch, but Tuesday, May 16 might have served as an unofficial grand opening.

Members of Hampton County leadership and the SouthernCarolina Alliance joined NUPI’s  local and international management team for lunch and a tour of the plant last week.

The visit to Hampton County was the first for Luigi Genoni, President  and founder of Nupi SPA, the holding company that owns both Nupi Americas and Nupi Industry Italiane (both manufacturing and sales of plastic pipes and fittings for various product lines).

Genoni, who founded the company in 1972, spoke through a translator for much of the visit, delivering a positive message in the process.

“Our plant in Italy has 280 employees, but we would be fine with 270 here,” Genoni said. “We have found very good workers here. It’s an excellent location. We look forward to our business growing up here.”

Rep. Bill Bowers presented Genoni with a proclamation congratulating NUPI on its investment in Hampton County and a South Carolina flag. He was joined for the ceremony by Roy Hollingsworth, Chairman of Hampton County Council, Buddy Phillips, Chairman of SouthernCarolina Alliance, Rose Dobson-Elliott, Hampton County Administrator, Brantley Strickland, project manager for SCA, Ronnie Stanley, manager of NUPI’s Early Branch facility, Sara Brunori, Vice-President and CFO for NUPI SPA and Marco Caprioli, Logistics Manager for NUPI.

After recruiting efforts by SCA and the Hampton County Economic Development Commission, NUPI purchased the former Hampton County Speculative Building and announced a $4.9 million investment and the creation of 37 jobs in October, 2015. The facility has been in operations for distribution since October, 2016 and added onsite manufacturing in February.