Nearshoring
Scout Motors to build new headquarters in North Carolina as construction underway at South Carolina production centre
Scout Motors has announced plans to base its new corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. This comes as construction of its new supplier base in Blythewood, South Carolina is currently underway.
Scout Motors announced on November 12 that it has selected Charlotte, North Carolina, as the home of its corporate headquarters. The $206m investment is set to bring more than 1,200 high-quality jobs to the Charlotte over the coming years.
This decision, Scout Motors has said, follows a "comprehensive, multi-state evaluation process" as it sought "the right location to serve as the long-term centre of gravity for the company’s corporate operations". At the end of this process, charlotte was deemed the ideal location for this because of its "combination of workforce strength, business climate, liveability, strategic location and alignment with the Scout brand’s adventurous spirit".
Scout's past, present and future
Scout Motor’s beginnings can be tracked back to the original Scout utility vehicle produced by International Harvester from 1961 to 1980. In 2022, backed by VW Group, Scout Motors was formed to “craft the next era of trucks and rugged SUVs rooted in the same tradition that made the original Scout vehicle an American icon”.
Scout Motors vehicles are designed in Novi, Michigan and will built in Blythewood, South Carolina to be sold all across the US. Production of two EV models – the Traveller and the Terra – is targeted to begin in 2027.
“Charlotte is the ideal home for Scout Motors — a place as dynamic as our people and brand, where heritage and pride meet progress and innovation,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Scout Motors. “With a thriving talent pool, world-class universities and a deserved reputation as a launchpad for bold ideas, Charlotte offers the momentum we need to scale quickly and sustainably. We’ll build a headquarters that reflects our culture, empowers our teams and connects us to a region that’s fast becoming a national hub for mobility and manufacturing.”
The new headquarters will be built as part of the Commonwealth development in Plaza Midwood and will serve as the company's base for executive leadership, research and development, finance, IT, sales, marketing, and other key corporate functions. Scout Motors plans to expand its presence in Charlotte gradually, starting with initial staffing and office development beginning in 2026 and scaling up operations in the years that follow.
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Scout Motors’ investment in the Carolinas
The company's new Charlotte headquarters will be located just an hour's drive away from its production centre, currently under construction in Blythewood, South Carolina. At peak capacity, the facility is expected to produce a total of 200,000 vehicles annually.
It broke ground on the production centre in February 2024. "We’re here to celebrate the revitalisation of an American icon and the reshoring of American jobs," said Keogh on the day of the ground-breaking. "On this land – with our hands and with our technology – we will build great vehicles.”
The company announced in September this year that it will invest an additional $300m to build a supplier park at the South Carolina site. It expects this will create around 1,000 additional supplier jobs. It builds on Scout Motors' existing investment of $2 billion in South Carolina.
The planned supplier park will span nearly 200 acres and feature more than 2.3 million sq. ft of specialised manufacturing and logistics space across three key centres: a just-in-time (JIT) facility dedicated to sequencing parts for final vehicle assembly; a battery assembly building designed for high-volume battery assembly; and an accessories building to support upfitting and installation of vehicle accessories.
It will serve as a central logistics and production hub, with Scout Motors saying it will support "seamless delivery of parts, batteries and accessories to Scout Motors’ main assembly operations".
"When Scout Motors announced they were coming to South Carolina, we knew it would set off a chain reaction of investment and job creation across our state," said Henry McMaster, governor of South Carolina, on Scout Motor's investment in the Blythewood site's supplier base. "This announcement further highlights Scout Motors’ commitment to our continued prosperity and the seemingly limitless economic opportunities they're creating for our people."
After it was announced Scout Motors would base its headquarters in Charlotte, Josh Stein, governor of North Carolina, commented: "Scout Motors is revitalising an iconic American brand, creating high-quality jobs,and building the next great automotive company right here in the Carolinas. Our business-friendly climate, our top-tier research universities and community colleges, our leadership in the clean energy economy, our quality of life, and above all, our people make companies want to call North Carolina home.”
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"Charlotte is well known as the home of strong global brands, and we’re thrilled to welcome Scout Motors to that list," Vi Lyles, mayor of Charlotte, added. "This project is a major job creation milestone for the city and will serve as a catalyst for continued revitalization in a part of our city that’s seeing new life through infrastructure and development. We can’t wait to see the impact this innovative company’s investment will bring to our city."
Vianney Ramirez, senior procurement and supply chain specialist, Scout Motors spoke at Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain Digital Strategies North America 2025 in Nashville. She highlighted the importance of effective cross-functional communication, both internally and externally.
"Having the best communication you can internally so everybody is aware of what we are developing, what we need, what is the problem, and sharing that with suppliers, is very important," Ramirez said.
