Mercedes-Benz Vans recently announced that it will invest nearly half a billion dollars to build a new van manufacturing plant in Charleston, South Carolina. The new facility will supply the North American market with the next-generation Sprinter.
More than 1,300 new jobs are expected to be created with the new plant, making Mercedes-Benz Vans one of the largest industrial employers in the region. The facility will cover more than 200 acres and include a body shop, paint shop and assembly line. Construction of the new factory is scheduled to begin in 2016.
"This plant is key to our future growth in the very dynamic North American van market," said Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. "Charleston is an excellent location for our new plant. The region has very highly skilled workers, a dense network of reliable suppliers and an outstanding logistics infrastructure that includes good transport connections to the nearby harbor."
Available in the United States since 2001, the Sprinter holds approximately 9 percent of the country's large van market. Mercedes-Benz Vans offers the Sprinter as both a Mercedes-Benz and a Freightliner-branded vehicle. Sprinters of both brands will roll off the assembly line at the future plant in Charleston.
Besides the Sprinter, the Mercedes‑Benz Vans division will also add the Metris series of medium-sized vans to its U.S. product range later in 2015.
For more information, visit www.mercedes-benz.com.