York County Council advances Octapharma’s $1.5 billion Rock Hill project after amended tax allocation

Octapharma representatives presented plans for what they called a $1.5 billion manufacturing and headquarters campus in Rock Hill and answered questions at a June 29 York County Council special meeting before the council approved, on second reading, a fee‑in‑lieu (FILO) agreement for “Project Palmetto Rock.”

Alice Stewart, introduced herself as chief operating officer for Octapharma and described the company as a global, family‑owned manufacturer of plasma‑derived therapies. Barry Pomeroy, Octapharma’s vice president of finance, said the proposal would create about 1,200 manufacturing jobs over 10 years, relocate roughly 300 corporate jobs to York County, and include a lab testing facility. Pomeroy described the process as a closed‑system fractionation operation and said “we want you invested in this community because this is gonna be our home.”

The company stressed safety and environmental controls: Octapharma representatives said every donated plasma unit is tested and frozen on site, that manufacturing inputs are treated to meet or exceed applicable regulatory limits, and that most ethanol used in their processes is recovered. They also emphasized the products’ clinical uses for hematology, immunotherapy and critical care.

Public commenters offered both criticism and support. Steve Penland of York County told the council, “I’d like to speak out against the second reading of the authorization,” raising concerns about late public disclosure of the company name and asking for detail on the tax incentives to avoid repeat issues from earlier projects. Supporters included Stacy Moore, president of York Technical College, who outlined two training pathways the college has created to prepare local workers for life‑sciences jobs, and James Chapel, CEO of SC Bio, who praised the project’s potential to attract more life‑sciences employers to the region.

Council discussion shifted from the company’s investment to how property tax revenue from the site would be distributed under a FILO agreement. A council member (speaker 8) moved an amendment to change the internal allocation so the Rock Hill School District’s portion would drop from 50% to 31.9%, York County’s share would remain 50%, and the City of Rock Hill would give up its portion (the amendment description as presented to council). The amendment drew debate over school revenue, enterprise funds and process; county staff and other members explained that final distribution changes still require the city’s action where the property lies. The amendment passed 5–2. After that vote, council approved the main motion on second reading by unanimous voice vote.

What’s next: second reading was acted on at this special meeting; the project still proceeds through the county’s three‑reading process and the company and staff have said they will remain available to answer further questions before third reading. Octapharma provided a public contact for project inquiries at palmettorock@octapharma.com.

Votes and formal actions: the amendment to reallocate the FILO distribution passed 5–2; the main motion approving second reading of Project Palmetto Rock passed unanimously.

Reported speakers and sources: presentations by Alice Stewart (chief operating officer, Octapharma) and Barry Pomeroy (vice president of finance, Octapharma), economic development director Mitch Miller (county staff), public commenters including Steve Penland, Stacy Moore (York Technical College), James Chapel (SC Bio), Robert Alexander (Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation), and Dugan Meredith (Palmetto Cabling Solutions).