Five invasive Bradford pear trees were recently removed from the AGY Holding Corp. property at 2556 Wagener Road in Aiken.
According to a press release, Executive Vice President of Operations Wayne Hartsock led the operation.
“We are proud to support Clemson University in the Bradford Pear Bounty initiative,” Hartsock said in a prepared statement. “This is a natural extension of our commitment to sustainability and our long-term focus on the local environment.”
The Bradford Pear Bounty program of Clemson and the South Carolina Forestry Commission encourages property owners to trade up to five Bradford pear trees for free, healthy, young replacement trees.
Bradford pears and other invasive plant species displace native species and cause economic and/or ecological damage, Clemson said.
In addition, Bradford pear trees often fall over during storms.
“This initiative is part of our broader ESG (environmental, social and governance) efforts, which include reducing our carbon footprint by 80% over the past five years,” said Doug Mann, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Technology at AGY.
AGY is headquartered in Aiken and produces specialty glass fibers at its manufacturing facility.
For more information about the Bradford Pear Bounty Program, visit clemson.edu/extension/bradford-pear.
