Isuzu to Build Production Plant in South Carolina
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Truck maker Isuzu North America will build a manufacturing facility in Piedmont, S.C., that is expected to be operational by 2027, the company said.
Isuzu bought a 1 million-square-foot facility on over 200 acres of Greenville County land that it plans to convert into an assembly plant at an overall cost of $280 million, with all the company’s production in North America to take place there, it said.
The company chose the site due to proximity to the region’s main interstate corridor, I-85, which connects Greenville to Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., and to I-26, which connects to the deepest port on the eastern seaboard, the Port of Charleston, it added.
Also, the upstate region of South Carolina already has a substantial automotive production base, offering a readily available skilled labor pool alongside nearby colleges that offer specific training to potential employees.
Among the auto manufacturers and component suppliers located in and around Greenville are BMW, whose largest global production facility employs 11,000 workers; Daimler Truck’s Freightliner Customer Chassis unit; tire maker Michelin; transmission and component maker ZF Group; and Bosch.
“Once again, South Carolina’s reputation as an automotive powerhouse is bringing increased opportunities to our borders. Isuzu’s new Greenville County operation will make an incredible impact in the upstate region and throughout the state,” said state Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey.
Isuzu’s plant will have a production capacity of 50,000 units by 2030 and will initially produce Isuzu N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric and F-Series Diesel trucks.
Those initial assembly operations will begin in 2027 and expand in 2028, by which time the plant is expected to employ more than 700 people, the company said.
Isuzu North America will build a manufacturing facility in Piedmont, S.C. (Image Courtesy of Collier’s International/Isuzu)
Isuzu’s existing lineup of trucks is currently manufactured in Charlotte, Mich., by contract manufacturer Builtmore Contract Manufacturing, a unit of The Shyft Group.
“The establishment of an Isuzu-owned and -operated production base in the United States reflects both Isuzu’s commitment to, and success in, the North American market,” Isuzu North America President Noboru Murakami said.
“The plant will be optimally designed for our needs, streamline our processes, provide us with flexibility to react to changing market conditions, and position us for even greater growth in the North American market,” he added.
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Isuzu also plans to offer more battery-electric trucks and produce them in Piedmont, noting that the future assembly plant will have a variable-model, variable-volume production system that produces both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles.
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The company also said it aims to increase its procurement of North American components for production of battery-electric trucks, a prescient strategy as the Trump administration ramps up its tariff strategy.
Isuzu trucks entered the North American truck market in 1984, and the company sold 22,806 trucks in 2024, according to Wards Intelligence data, with more than 80% of those class 4 or 5 trucks.
Isuzu Commercial Truck of America said 2024 was a record year for the company, topping the prior year’s total.
“2024 was a milestone year for us,” said Shaun Skinner, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America president. “For 2025, there’s a lot to be excited about, and we are in a great position for continued success. Our Class 3 to 5 product line in the N-Series gives customers a robust choice of powertrains and wheelbases that makes nearly everything possible with Isuzu.”
“When you think about Class 6 and 7, our F-Series trucks have been very popular, and opportunities there continue to grow. Even with some regulatory uncertainty, Isuzu is in a great position to serve the vast needs of the medium-duty market,” Skinner added.
