Lamar business closer to expansion
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Lamar Town Council convened its regular meeting April 13, and announced a step forward in the expansion of a local business.
At council’s March 9 meeting David Epps, president of Carolina Table Manufacturing Company, said he planned to add a new metal building to his company’s footprint, a new structure that would house a 110-foot long spray finishing line. Epps said this new machine, which he has already secured from Italy, would apply a near “indestructible” finish to solid wood and veneered products.
Epps said the building would be raised on land owned by Warren Jeffords, located between Carolina Table’s current 102 Main Street facility and Boykin Avenue. He and contractor Don Clark then requested a variance from a building code requirement for a firewall at this structure, since this new building will not abut any other buildings.
Clark noted that building and codes inspector Henry Chapman (on loan from the City of Darlington) gave conditional approval pending an okay from the county fire marshal. Council voted to grant the variance contingent on fire marshal approval, which has since been granted.
Carolina Table produces industrial and custom-built tables of all sizes and purposes for businesses across the nation.
In other matters, council member Mike Lloyd gave an update on the pump replacement water project for the town’s #1 well. Lloyd said that when contractors from North American Construction of Quinby pulled the pump, they found a leak and a hole in the pump bowl, necessitating the order of some replacement parts.
“What little water we were pumping was coming right back out of the side… we were just more or less wasting electricity,” Lloyd said.
The pump replacement is necessary due to notable levels of radium detected from the town’s No. 1 well. DHEC mandated that the pump be replaced and Lamar install a skater system allowing the town to acquire water from Darlington County Water and Sewer Authority if demand should exceed supply.
Projected costs are currently around $69,000, and the town received $50,000 in grant money from the state to help pay for this project.
Council member Guy Clements suggested the town look into establishing a soccer program at its spacious recreational fields, noting that youth soccer is a growing sport among young girls and boys, and soccer season would not conflict with Lamar’s existing youth football programs.
Janie Howell of the Downtown Pride Committee thanked everyone who came out and helped clean up Lamar before and after this year’s Egg Scramble Jamboree, and commended council for hiring a sweeper truck to clear up the streets after tens of thousands of visitors cleared out.
