By Vareva Harris, Co-Editor | vareva@thewoodrufftimes.com
WOODRUFF, S.C. — Growth in Woodruff is no accident. It’s deliberate, strategic, and grounded in community values. That message resonated clearly on May 8, as AIRSYS Cooling Technologies officially broke ground on its $40 million global headquarters and manufacturing facility—a milestone marking another step forward in the city’s evolution.
State and local officials joined AIRSYS executives to celebrate the start of construction on the 264,000-square-foot facility, located on a 60-acre site at 6228 S.C. Highway 101. The project is expected to create 215 jobs in the Upstate and help anchor the city’s ongoing economic development.
“Woodruff is proud to welcome AIRSYS’s global headquarters—and even more proud of what this means for our residents,” said Mayor Kenneth Gist. “These jobs represent a major win for our city and will continue to propel prosperity across our community.”
City Councilmember Toni Sloan shared in the excitement. “This is a very exciting day,” she said. “The groundbreaking of AIRSYS Cooling Technologies signals a better future, more opportunity, and a strong commitment to our city.”
Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt, reflecting on the occasion, drew a parallel to BMW’s arrival in Spartanburg County in 1992—and its expansion into Woodruff in 2022. “BMW was one of the first,” he said, “and AIRSYS is one of the last groundbreakings I’ll attend as a councilman.” Britt is stepping down from County Council to join the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
When completed in 2026, the AIRSYS facility will be among the largest 3-D printing manufacturing sites in the world. It will feature cutting-edge technology to produce customizable spray liquid cooling components for high-density computing servers—meeting rising global demand for energy-efficient and sustainable cooling systems.
Founded 30 years ago by Yunshui Chen, AIRSYS is currently headquartered in Greer and serves clients around the world with cooling systems for data centers, medical imaging equipment, and telecommunications infrastructure. The company also operates facilities in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
“AIRSYS has always been about mission-critical cooling solutions,” said President Paul Quigley during the ceremony. “As demand for data centers grows, so does the need for high-performance, energy-efficient cooling—and that’s where we excel.”
Mayor Gist credited City Manager Lee Bailey, the Woodruff City Council, and city staff for their leadership and collaboration, along with strong support from county and state partners. Notable attendees included Assistant City Manager Brandon McMahan, Police Chief Greg Ryan, Spartanburg School District Four Superintendent Dr. Aaron Fulmer, and school board members Micah Kelly and Rick Sloan.
Several key partners will support the project’s development, including Coates Construction, LS3P (architectural design), Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, OneSpartanburg, Inc., Spartanburg County, and Truist.
With AIRSYS joining a growing list of forward-looking employers, Woodruff continues to shape its future with purpose—ensuring that growth goes hand-in-hand with community impact.
Author: Tracy Sanders
