(Photo by David Dykes)
By David Dykes
And August M. Spencer
Isuzu North America Corporation on Oct. 1, 2025, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new 1,000,000-square foot production facility in Piedmont, South Carolina, that marks a major milestone in the company’s long-term commitment to the North American market.
Isuzu’s facility, situated on 200 acres in Greenville County, represents a $280 million investment and will serve as a cutting-edge production hub for Isuzu’s medium-duty truck lineup, including the N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric, and F-Series trucks.
The plant will have a production capacity of 50,000 units by 2030 and is expected to employ over 700 South Carolinians by 2028.
Isuzu officials said the company conducted a nationwide search for the new location.
They also said they received “generous” economic development support from state and Greenville County officials, but didn't elaborate.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries, including South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster; Isuzu Motors Limited Chairman, Representative Director and CEO Masanori Katayama; and the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Shigeo Yamada.
Each delivered remarks highlighting the importance of this investment for both the state of South Carolina and Isuzu’s global operations.
“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.”
“Today’s groundbreaking represents more than the start of a construction project – it is a reflection of South Carolina’s reputation as a destination for world-class companies,” McMaster said. “Isuzu’s presence here will strengthen our economy, provide opportunities for our people, and further demonstrate the benefits of investing in our state.”
Isuzu’s U.S. investment strategy extends beyond this new facility. 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.
The new assembly plant will introduce a variable-model, variable-volume production system that produces both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles.
It will be the first facility in the Isuzu Group to use a production line without conveyors or pits, a highly-advanced line that maximizes flexibility and scalability.
In addition, the plant’s quality assurance system will automate inspections to eliminate operational errors, ensure traceability of parts, and introduce image inspections and other methods to prevent the leakage of defective products.
Officials said the size of the Greenville plant will enable Isuzu to consolidate all production-related operations — KD storage and processing, parts storage, vehicle production and PIO operations — under one roof, streamlining processes and improving efficiency.
The campus also has sufficient acreage to store all completed trucks at a single site.
The plant will give Isuzu direct control over all assembly and logistics operations and, officials said, will provide Isuzu with the flexibility and speed to meet the demands of a quickly-evolving North American commercial vehicle market.
The plant is located close to the region’s Interstate 85 corridor and to I-26, which connects to the deepest port on the eastern seaboard, the Port of Charleston.
Isuzu worked closely with state and county officials in its selection of the site.
Isuzu trucks entered the North American truck market in 1984, and the company sold 44,000 units in the last fiscal year, its highest total ever.
In addition to expanding its production base in North America, the company aims to increase its procurement of components necessary for the production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and to further expand its advanced automotive technology research and development initiatives in North America.
Headquartered in Anaheim, California, Isuzu North America Corporation supplies Isuzu commercial vehicles for sale in the United States and Canada and is a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks.