Starbucks to build roasting facility in S. Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina is poised to help the Southeast start its day with a jolt.

Starbucks and state officials on Monday announced the global coffee purveyor has plans to build a roasting and distribution plant in St. Matthews, about 15 miles from the state capital. Coffee beans would be sent to the 150,000-square-foot plant, where they'd be roasted and packaged for shipment to the region's 2,200 Starbucks stores and other coffee sellers.

"This new facility will help us meet increasing demand for our premium coffees and allows us to support our growth in the Southeast," Peter Gibbons, a Starbucks senior vice president, said in a statement.

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