NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — PRC Laser Corp., an industrial laser manufacturer, plans to invest $1.4 million into a new facility in Charleston County that will create 73 jobs.

The company will upgrade a 40,000-square-foot building at the Palmetto Commerce Park in North Charleston, allowing the company to increase its manufacturing capacity and expand its assembly and testing operations. The new site should be ready for operations by June.

“Our state-of-the-art industrial laser products, global service network and U.S.-based manufacturing combine to create many growth opportunities for customers and employees,” says PRC president Walter Wilson. “We look forward to helping make the Lowcountry a hub for industrial laser products for both the North American and global markets.”

Founded in 1985, PRC supplies manufacturers with carbon-dioxide and fiber lasers for cutting and welding. Most of the North Charleston plant will be dedicated to fiber laser production, which is the fastest-growing segment of the market.

John Hagerty, chairman of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, said the group has been courting PRC for months.

“The region’s available labor, workforce training programs and business-friendly climate made all the difference,” Hagerty says.

The company will be hiring for positions in production, engineering and sales, which will be listed on their website. The state’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits for PRC that will lower the company’s tax bill as it hires workers.