Scout Motors to bring thousands of jobs to the Midlands
Scout Motors is bringing its first manufacturing plant to Blythewood. The company says it will build an all electric next generation trucks and SUVs and the $2 billion investment will bring thousands of jobs to the Midlands.
RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) – Scout Motors is bringing its first manufacturing plant to Blythewood. The company says it will build an all electric next generation trucks and SUVs and the $2 billion investment will bring thousands of jobs to the Midlands.
According to Scout Motors after looking at over 74 sites across America, the company decided on Blythewood to build its $2 billion dollar manufacturing facility and restart its brand to produce electric vehicles.
“Of course it’s the labor and the work force. You look at the available labor upwards of 400 thousand. If you look at the talent from the engineering that comes from the University of South Carolina, Clemson, and Benedict College, the talent is there.” says Scout Motors President and CEO Scott Keogh.
“We have an untapped labor pool around the Midlands, its been tapped some in the upstate and the low country with BMW and Volvo but people here are ready to go,” says South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.
Production is expected to create 4,000 jobs in the Midlands. South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey III says the state had to be competitive to gain Scout Motors by offering an over $1 billion incentives package that will go before the legislature for approval. Lightsey names what the package will include.
“We will be building a railroad bridge across interstate highway I-77 to get railroad access to the plant, we’ll be creating a whole new interchange off of I-77 that will provide access directly to the plant, we’ll do other road improvements around the site which will improve traffic flow,” says Lightsey. He also says soil stabilization, water and sewer work, power work is included, plus Scout Motors will have money provided to them that they can invest in the site.
The state conducted an economic analysis to understand Scout Motors impact.
“Dr. Joey Von Nessen who is an economics professor at the University of South Carolina performed this analysis for us. He was able to establish that by 2029 the state will already be over $15 billion to the good so we will already have a return on the investment,” says Lightsey.
According to Scout Motors, ground work will begin within the next few weeks followed by a ground breaking in the summer. The company says production hiring will not happen until 2025 and 2026.
