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BMW Apparently Helped Volvo Choose South Carolina as Its New US Plant Location

Back in 1994, BMW was opening the Spartanburg plant in the US, a move that would prove to be, further down in history, a game changer. That’s because, over the years, the South Carolina facility grew exponentially in size and is now about to take over as the Group’s biggest in the world, overtaking the Dingolfing location.
Volvo badge 1 photo
Photo: Catalin Garmacea
Volvo is now catching up, and they have been looking for a place in the US where to build a new plant for quite some time. They finally decided to go with South Carolina, the state that is also hosting BMW’s interests on the American continent.

Apparently, the Swedes needed some outside convincing when looking for the perfect spot for their project and what the state was offering via its governor, Nikki Haley, wasn’t enough. They needed someone from the inside, someone that was already doing business over there.

According to Haley, that help came from the Germans: “the first company to help Volvo was BMW.” Furthermore, Boeing is also said to have chipped in and both companies offered everything they could to help Volvo make up their minds.

“They are the unsung heroes that people don’t always talk about,
” added the governor.

The investment Volvo is looking at is somewhere around $550 million and the location is close to Ridgeville, South Carolina. This is where the upcoming S80 sedans will begin production in 2018, with a small 50,000 to 60,000 per annum rate.

To accommodate the investors, the state will work on the infrastructure to bring a new highway closer to the factory and improve the depth around the Port of Charleston, to allow access for larger container ships. At the moment, the maximum depth is 45 feet, but it is expected to go up to 52.

All of this is bound to take South Carolina to new heights, as it is home to some 250 automotive businesses that bring around $27 billion in economic impact to the state.
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