A Dubai-based energy powerhouse, recently honored at the World Economic Forum in Davos, just purchased a massive industrial property in York County to transform into their new US headquarters. Esyasoft bought the 129-year-old former Ross Cannon Mill and Vision Metering for $2.5 million this month.
Esyasoft plans on transforming the 212,000-square-foot building and 25-acre property into a sprawling development complex. The site once housed a cotton mill that opened in 1897. Fruit of the Loom later manufactured there. Mill homes still surround the landmark.
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Esyasoft recently earned unicorn status from the World Economic Forum. WEF recognized it as the third UAE firm to surpass $1 billion valuation during the 2026 Davos meetings. Esyasoft serves over 200 million consumers across 12 countries. It specializes in smart grids, AI analytics, battery storage, and e-mobility.
“Our York, South Carolina technology campus will serve as a key hub for technology delivery, innovation, R&D, and localized solution development,” said Esyasoft CEO Bipin Chandra in a press release. “It will also reinforce Esyasoft’s commitment to the principles of the Build America, Buy America Act through stronger regional capabilities and deeper local collaboration.”
York County remains cautiously optimistic about another foreign energy company building a flagship location in York County. Residents still fume over recent fiascos including the Silfab Solar debacle and the massive QTS data center project.
Silfab, a Canadian energy company, forced a heavy industrial factory into a light industrial zone near Fort Mill schools with the support and backing of Congressional Representative Ralph Norman. Chemical spills at the plant later shut down Flint Hill Elementary. Zoning violations sparked lawsuits and public outrage.
Meanwhile, QTS quietly secured hundreds of acres for an $8 billion data center campus near Lake Wylie. County officials sold land under secretive “Project COBRA” labels with little public notice. Neighbors now fight noise, water use, and power strain.
Yet skeptics watch closely. York County, under the leadership of Christi Cox and Josh Edwards, has made a reputation for fast-tracking big foreign deals, violating due process of citizens, and ignoring zoning laws.
Have Christi and Josh learned from Silfab’s toxic mess and QTS’s secretive rollout? York’s historic mill now sits at a crossroads between global ambition and local accountability.
Fort Mill and York residents will judge the outcome by results, not promises. Will Esyasoft deliver clean growth? Or will history repeat with another costly fiasco?
