AstenJohnson Inc., a global manufacturer of paper machine clothing and a supplier to the paper industry, said it is expanding its existing Laurens County manufacturing facility in Clinton, planning to invest $32 million on new equipment in the next five years.

The largest purchase will be a new needle loom in 2016, with the start-up anticipated for the third quarter of next year, AstenJohnson officials said.

A company announcement, made jointly with state Department of Commerce officials, made no mention of new hires as part of the expansion.

"The plan for new equipment in Clinton shows AstenJohnson's commitment to the continued growth of our Press Fabrics division," AstenJohnson Press Business Leader Bob Huck said in a statement. "The new needle loom will enable us to manufacture press felts for the largest paper machines in the world."

Headquartered in Charleston, the firm employs approximately 2,000 workers in nine countries worldwide.

The origins of AstenJohnson can be traced back to 1790, when the Johnson family opened the Manchester Wire Works in Manchester, England.

Nearly 100 years later, the Asten family launched the Asten Manufacturing Company in Belgium.

In 1999, Asten Manufacturing and JWI merged, forming AstenJohnson.

The company also manufactures advanced and filtration fabrics, filaments, paper machine equipment, custom rebuild solutions and nonwoven materials for filtration, automotive, cure-in-place piping and composites.

"AstenJohnson is a long-time member of our community, and it is great to see them continue to grow in Laurens County," said Laurens County Development Corporation Chairman Stan Bryson.  "Existing industries are an important part of our local economy and their continued investments in our community have a wide reaching impact within our county."