SPOTLIGHT: The Ritedose Corporation Open for Business on MTC Enterprise Campus

The Ritedose Corporation (TRC), the first company to build and open a facility at the Midlands Technical College (MTC) Enterprise Campus, officially opened today.

TRC’s 150,000-square-foot facility is the anchor tenant on the MTC Enterprise Campus, a 130-acre industrial park for new or existing industries that are looking for prime-development space and partnership with a technically focused academic institution. TRC, which selected the Midlands to originally launch its company because of the pool of skilled resources available, chose the MTC Enterprise Campus as its first expansion site.

South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, and other local and state officials joined Midlands Technical College (MTC) President Ronald L. Rhames and The Ritedose Corporation (TRC) President and CEO Jody Chastain to cut the ribbon and tour the new facility.

“TRC chose to set up our facility at the MTC Enterprise Campus because it is close geographically, and it strengthens our relationship with Midlands Technical College,” said Jody Chastain, The Ritedose Corporation President and CEO. “Having the benefit of a technical college with a willingness to structure curriculum for our industry makes sense.  We will be working with MTC in designing courses that will be applied toward training and hiring the skill set that will continue to facilitate TRC’s success.”

TRC specializes in the production of inhalation products, eye drops, eardrops, and oral liquids. The new TRC facility will focus on packaging and distribution of a unique sterile-processing technology known as Blow Fill Seal. TRC is among the world’s largest Blow Fill Seal facilities in terms of capacity and currently serves multiple clients from clinical trials through full-scale commercialization. 

“We welcome companies like TRC that desire a relationship with an academic institution and that will take full advantage of what this site has to offer,” said Chuck Whipple, Executive Director of the MTC Enterprise Campus. “The Ritedose Corporation will be able to recruit MTC students to train and work in one of the most modern manufacturing environments in the state. It’s a win for the students, for the college, and for TRC.”

The Midlands Technical College Enterprise Campus can accommodate office and industrial users, in space ranging from five to 40 acres, in a Zoned M-1 location. Because the Enterprise Campus is adaptable, it can quickly offer intimate access to MTC resources, designed to provide a valuable exchange of information, innovation, and workforce education.

“Working with MTC’s Enterprise Campus really enabled us to move quickly on getting some of the typical roadblocks removed and allowed us to go from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting in nine short months,” said Chastain.

MTC President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames said MTC’s partnership with TRC is bringing to life a dream that began years ago to merge education and economic development by establishing a closer relationship between the college and area businesses. Companies like TRC will be able to hire and train student interns from MTC to grow and nurture their own technically trained workforce.

“This new facility will provide internship opportunities for many MTC students,” said Rhames. “By bridging the divide between learning and working, the Enterprise Campus will continue to grow as more companies choose to co-locate adjacent to the college’s Northeast Campus where workforce training needs are so close at hand.”

Whipple, who over his career, has been directly involved in more than $7.5 billion in various finance and economic development transactions across South Carolina, agreed that TRC is the first of many companies positioned to take advantage of the many MTC Enterprise Campus benefits. He said he hopes to attract a diverse mix of small-to medium-sized companies in the targeted sectors, and tier 3 or tier 4 supplier-based companies that require a facility from 50,000 to 200,000 square feet situated on five to 20 acres. Companies in the areas of aerospace, automotive, information technology, and healthcare are prime candidates to take advantage of the Enterprise Campus offerings.

“TRC is an exciting, homegrown company that has an extensive impact on its market sector,” said Rhames. “MTC is extremely proud of our association with TRC. I look forward to welcoming future companies who understand how valuable such a relationship with higher education can be.”

Learn more about the Midlands Technical College Enterprise Campus.

The Ritedose Corporation specializes in the production of inhalation products, eye drops, eardrops, and oral liquids.
www.ritedose.com