Rows of yellow robotic arms inside an auto assembly plant — Robotic arms work across the Scout Motors production floor in Blythewood, where the company says vehicle production is progressing toward customer deliveries in 2028.

Seven auto parts manufacturers plan to invest more than $82 million and create 200 jobs in South Carolina’s Upstate, extending the reach of Scout Motors’ vehicle manufacturing project beyond its assembly plant near Columbia.

The expansions, announced Oct. 14, will take place at existing operations in Spartanburg, Duncan and Piedmont. The companies will supply components for Scout’s Traveler SUV and Terra pickup, which will be assembled in Blythewood.

A Scout SUV parked on grass near rustic buildings at dusk — Scout has been building up its South Carolina manufacturing and supplier network as it prepares to put the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup into production.

“Building Scout vehicles in South Carolina means building more of our supply chain here, too,” Scout President and CEO Scott Keogh said in the announcement.

Where the Investment and Jobs Will Go

Spartanburg Steel accounts for the largest share, with a $40 million expansion and 60 planned jobs. KV Final will add another 50 positions through a $14 million investment.

Together, those two Spartanburg operations account for 110 of the 200 announced jobs. Other projects involve metal components, mirrors, brake lines and sealing systems.

Supplier	Location	Planned investment	New jobs
Spartanburg Steel	Spartanburg	$40 million	60
Magna DRIVE	Piedmont	$15 million	30
KV Final	Spartanburg	$14 million	50
Röchling Automotive	Duncan	$5 million	15
Magna Mirrors	Spartanburg	$5 million	15
Cooper Standard	Spartanburg	$3 million	15
Bant Boru	Duncan	$270,000	15

The announced investments total approximately $82.27 million. Several of the suppliers already serve other automakers operating in South Carolina, including BMW. Their Scout contracts will add work to an established manufacturing network.

Factory Preparations Advance in Blythewood

Scout selected South Carolina in March 2023 for its $2 billion Production Center. The company projects at least 4,000 permanent jobs at the plant and capacity to manufacture up to 200,000 vehicles annually when fully operating.

People gather around two Scout vehicles on display outdoors — Scout vehicles have been on public display as the company works through testing and production preparation ahead of customer deliveries.

At the Oct. 14 announcement, Keogh said the factory was approximately 90% complete and about 900 employees had been hired, according to Upstate Business Journal. Early prototype vehicles were already being built and tested.

Scout’s September construction update described equipment training and robotics testing in the body shop, conveyor testing between production buildings and continued installation work in final assembly.

The company is also developing a separate $300 million supplier park at the Blythewood site. That project is expected to support approximately 1,000 supplier jobs and handle parts, batteries and other materials moving into assembly operations. The newly announced Upstate expansions represent additional investment at suppliers’ own facilities.

A silver Scout SUV on a dirt road with trees and hills in the background — The Traveler and Terra are expected to reach customers in 2028 as Scout and its suppliers continue ramping up work in South Carolina.

Customer Deliveries Expected in 2028

The factory’s construction progress and supplier commitments come ahead of vehicles reaching customers.

Scout says initial validation vehicles began production in 2026, with testing and production preparation continuing into 2027. Customer deliveries are expected to begin in 2028. The Traveler and Terra will offer battery-electric versions and an extended-range option with a gasoline engine.

The Oct. 14 supplier announcement did not provide wage ranges or company-by-company hiring schedules for the 200 positions. Those jobs remain planned additions tied to the suppliers’ expansion work.