North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Isuzu North America Corporation has broken ground on a new vehicle production facility in South Carolina, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker’s plan to expand its footprint in the U.S. market.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held Oct. 1, drew about 150 attendees, including South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada, Isuzu Chairman and CEO Masanori Katayama, and Isuzu North America Chairman and CEO Noboru Murakami. To commemorate the event, McMaster and Katayama planted cherry trees on the site.
“Thanks to the strong leadership of this state and the warm spirit of its people, we are proud to make the Upstate our new home,” Katayama said at the ceremony. “Through this plant, we are strengthening our long-term commitment to North America and working alongside you as a neighbor and partner that contributes to the life and future of this region.”
Murakami said the facility represents both an investment and a partnership. “Together, we will create jobs, drive innovation, and contribute to the future of mobility,” he said.
The plant, scheduled to begin operations in 2027, will initially retrofit an existing building with new vehicle production lines. It is designed to provide flexibility, with the ability to produce both internal combustion and electric commercial vehicles as the U.S. market transitions to cleaner technologies.
By transferring production of North America-bound vehicles from Isuzu’s Fujisawa plant in Japan to South Carolina, the company aims to achieve an annual capacity of about 50,000 units by 2030.
Isuzu first announced the project in February 2025 as part of its mid-term plan, “ISUZU Transformation – Growth to 2030,” which identifies North America as a key growth region.
The company says the new facility will serve as a cornerstone of its North American operations, advancing both local job creation and global competitiveness.