GSA Daily Staff Report
Published Feb. 4, 2010

Proterra Inc. today formally announced its plans to build a 240,000-square-foot manufacturing and R&D center on 25 acres at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

Construction is expected to begin this spring.

“This is a red letter day, not just for Greenville, but for the Upstate and for South Carolina. Proterra opens the door to a whole new range of innovative enterprises to come. We are very proud of our team who worked very hard to make this happen, and we are very proud of our newest corporate citizen – Proterra,” said Butch Kirven, a director of the Greenville Area Development Corp. and chairman of Greenville County Council.

The Colorado-based company develops and assembles drive- and energy-storage systems for heavy-duty vehicles, including an electric bus that city of Greenville has agreed to purchase for it public-transit fleet.

“Proterra's location in Greenville is another piece in the CU-ICAR puzzle that establishes it as one of the premier locations for leading-edge transportation and technology companies,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White.

Proterra and its partners design, develop and assemble all electric and battery dominant hybrid-drive solutions and complete vehicles for commercial applications, including transit, school and commercial buses, parcel delivery vehicles and other class 4-8 trucks. Its BE-35 fast-charge battery electric transit bus has been tested at the Federal Transit Administration’s Altoona Center as achieving between 17 and 21 miles per gallon, a roughly 500% improvement over conventional diesel buses. Proterra’s very first vehicle, a battery dominant fuel cell hybrid transit bus funded by the FTA, is in service in Columbia. Proterra is headquartered in Golden, Colorado at the Coors Technology Center.

The company will lease land at CU-ICAR campus, with the potential to expand into the entire 50-acre site.

Proterra plans to invest $68 million in the site and hire 1,300 people during the next seven years. Proterra will work with readySC on workforce training and job placement. Jobs will support mechanical assembly, warehouse, logistics, managerial, engineering and quality assurance.

The state Department of Commerce has approved Proterra for the Job Development Credits program, which is a performance-based incentive tied to job creation and capital investment. Additionally, Commerce will make two grants to Greenville County totaling $3 million to assist with site preparation and infrastructure improvements for the project.

Proterra was joined at today’s announcement by local and state leaders, including Gov. Mark Sanford, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Jim DeMint, Rep. Bob Inglis, White, Kirven, Clemson University President James Barker, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Greenville Area Development Corp. and the South Carolina Research Authority.

“This new facility will be our first full-scale, state-of-the-art research and development and manufacturing facility for our groundbreaking clean transportation solutions,” said Jeff Granato, Proterra CEO. “Several months ago, Proterra retained the help of eRealty Companies Inc. and NPB Capital to assist in the site selection process. After a nation-wide search involving some 30 states, we selected Greenville, South Carolina as a result of the state’s numerous benefits in terms of workforce capabilities and research and development support. Additionally, we were impressed by the efforts of the governor, the federal delegation, the local officials and economic development entities, which far exceeded our expectations. We look forward to continuing a long and fruitful level of collaboration with the state of South Carolina and City of Greenville.”