Isuzu North America Corporation held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday outside the 1,000,000-square-foot building in Piedmont, South Carolina. The massive facility will produce Isuzu’s N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric, and F-Series trucks all under one roof.

When the new plant in Piedmont goes into operation, it will replace the current production facility in Charlotte, Michigan, which is operated by Builtmore Contract Manufacturing, part of The Shyft Group, on behalf of Isuzu. The new South Carolina site will be owned and operated by Isuzu. 

During the transition, Builtmore will continue to assemble Isuzu trucks in Charlotte during the multi-year production ramp-up period in Piedmont, Isuzu announced earlier this year.

With the production of N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric, and F-Series trucks in South Carolina, the only remaining trucks not made in the U.S. will be the N-Series diesel, which is produced in Japan and then arrives in the U.S. through one of five different ports.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Masanori Katayama, Isuzu Motors Limited chairman, representative director and CEO; Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster; addressed the audience, which was comprised of company leaders from Japan and North America, plus numerous local government and economic development leaders. 

“This groundbreaking underscores our strong commitment to the North American market,” said Noboru Murakami, chairman and CEO of Isuzu North America Corporation. “With this new plant, we are getting closer to our customers and the market, strengthening our ability to serve them, and investing in the future. Our new facility will create jobs, contribute to the local economy, and provide a foundation for long-term growth and success.”

McMaster emphasized the significance of Isuzu’s investment in South Carolina and said that Isuzu’s presence will strengthen the state's economy, provide opportunities for its people, and further demonstrate the benefits of investing in South Carolina.

The governor said he commonly talks with other businesses that have chosen to invest in South Carolina and often asks them why they chose to locate in the state. McMaster said the tax system in South Carolina is favorable for business, the state has good access to the Port of Charleston, and the state has a strong technical college system with 16 different locations to help support the workforce.

As part of the program, Katayama and McMaster participated in a ceremonial gift exchange. Then they were joined by additional Isuzu leaders, state officials, and community representatives in a symbolic turning of soil. 

To further commemorate the occasion, Yoshino cherry trees were planted on the site, which Isuzu said symbolizes new beginnings and the enduring friendship between Japan and the United States. The trees are the same variety that were presented to the United States by Japan in 1912. Those trees still bloom each spring around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.

Murakami, following the tree-planting ceremony, explained how Isuzu is making a long-term commitment to the Piedmont and Greenville County area with the new production facility.

“Last year, we, Isuzu, celebrated our 40-year anniversary in the United States and Canada, having first introduced our product here in 1984. Over the decades, we've worked hard to build a reliable product and high-quality product, and earned the trust of our customers and partners,” Murakami said.  “As we look ahead to the future and begin our expansion in Greenville County, we are so excited to imagine what the next 40 years may look like, starting with this new plant. We are committed to building not just a factory, but a long-lasting relationship with this community. We look forward to growing together.”

50,000 Units by 2030

The Isuzu-owned and operated production facility situated on 200 acres in Greenville County will be the company’s most advanced manufacturing site and represents a $280 million investment. The plant will have a production capacity of 50,000 units by 2030 and is expected to employ over 700 workers by 2028.

Production is expected to begin in the Piedmont facility in 2027, and the move to the new facility will consolidate all assembly and logistics operations under one roof. 

Shaun Skinner, president and CEO, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, said all three trucks will not simultaneously go into production in Piedmont, and Isuzu is taking a look at which one to start with first. But, he pointed out, some of those decisions may be tied to how emission regulations play out.

“But the reality is that we'll start producing here, or assembling here, in early 2027, and that will ramp up through probably 2028 to the point that we're at full pitch, and then all of the products will be there,” Skinner explained. “But yes, there will be a cadence to it that we won't start trying to do everything at one time because of the fact that you want to control quality, and you want to make sure that you make sure that you get everything right.”

The facility will streamline operations, spanning KD storage, parts management, vehicle production, and post-production installation, while providing the flexibility to respond to evolving customer demands in the North American commercial vehicle market.

Skinner explained how the abundance of space will be advantageous compared to the current production format in Charlotte.

“With what we have up there, while it's worked really well, we've kind of outgrown the facility, and we've had to have buildings in certain parts of town, so you have it kind of fractured. And this (Piedmont) allows us to have everything in one area and will really allow us to grow our volume number one,” Skinner said.

Skinner, however, pointed out that Biltmore, the division of The Shift Group, responsible for production in Charlotte, has been “Nothing but wonderful as a partner to work with.”

The massive facility in Piedmont is basically a shell at this point, but even when the manufacturing lines, parts storage, and other elements are installed, Isuzu will still have one end of the building set aside for future expansion.

“When you're doing the assembly on your own, you have direct control over what happens on the assembly line,” Skinner said. “If you're contract assembling with somebody, you can recommend and work with them, and they've always been gracious about doing that. But ultimately, it does give us total control of our portfolio.”

Commitment to U.S. Investment

Isuzu said its U.S. investment strategy extends beyond the new facility in South Carolina. The company is increasing its sourcing of parts from domestic suppliers and expanding its advanced automotive technology research and development initiatives in the U.S.