Volvo’s First North American Plant Will Be Built In South Carolina
Volvo first began importing cars to the US in 1955
With four total plants already established in Europe and China, Volvo decided to expand its brand by announcing plans to build its first North America plant in Berkeley County, South Carolina.
Volvo will be receiving more than $200 million in state incentives for its commitment to build the plant in Berkeley. The plant is expected to bring up to 2,000 jobs to the area and would add $4.8 billion annually to the economy.
New models like the 2015 Volvo XC60 Crossover will be produced at the new plant
“We are proud to have this global leader in car manufacturing join and strengthen South Carolina’s automotive industry,’ said South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who recently made headlines for calling for the Confederate flag to be removed from South Carolina Statehouse grounds following the Charleston church shooting, an idea that another automotive business, NASCAR, strongly supported.
As part of the state’s agreement with Volvo, South Carolina will be paying for a new interchange off Interstate 26 and for a road to be built that will connect to the site of the future plant.
Construction of the new plant will begin in fall 2015 and is expected to be ready to produce cars in 2018. The plant will produce Volvo’s newest models and is expected to produce up to 100,000 cars per year.
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