29 July 2025
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Manufacturer Zilmet has officially opened its first US facility in South Carolina. The $32.7million investment is said to mark a significant milestone in the company’s international journey.
The new 150,000 sq ft facility is expected to create approximately 50 skilled manufacturing jobs and will produce expansion tanks and heat exchangers specifically for the North American market. Production is scheduled to begin later this year.
Founded in Italy in 1955 by entrepreneur Ugo Benettolo, Zilmet has grown from a small iron workshop into a specialist in expansion vessels, pressure tanks and heat exchangers exporting to over 100 countries.
“This is more than a new factory - it’s the start of a new chapter,” said Paolo Benettolo, CEO of Zilmet. “By investing in local manufacturing, we’re bringing our values of craftsmanship, innovation, and quality closer to our North American customers - while supporting global growth with greater agility.”
Zilmet UK’s CEO Stuart Gizzi attended the opening. He said: “This is an important and strategic milestone for Zilmet. It’s the world’s favourite pressure vessel brand because the products are so well designed, engineered and built, but there’s no getting away from the nature of the products that can be anything from the size of a baseball, to the size of a quarterback - you’re shipping large volumes of air.
“Local manufacturing has got to be the sensible solution, so long as the quality remains the same. That’s what’s happening here in South Carolina, a skilled workforce in a state of the art facility making Zilmet vessels to the usual world-class standard. From the beginning, Zilmet has been a family business built on trust and innovation. This facility reflects those values; and our confidence in what we can build together.”
