Isuzu North America Corporation (headquartered in in Anaheim, California, USA; Chairman and CEO: Noboru Murakami; hereinafter “INAC”), the local subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited (headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; President and COO: Shinsuke Minami; hereinafter “Isuzu”), held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, October 1 (EST) at its new production facility in South Carolina (hereinafter the “new facility”), which is scheduled to begin operations in 2027.
The ceremony was attended by approximately 150 people, including South Carolina Governor, Henry McMaster and the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Shigeo Yamada. To commemorate the occasion, cherry trees were planted on the site by Governor McMaster and Isuzu Chairman and CEO, Masanori Katayama.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Masanori Katayama said:
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. 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.
INAC Chairman and CEO, Noboru Murakami added:
It is truly a pleasure and an honor to share this special day with all of you, as we take the first step toward a new chapter in our company’s journey. We are committed to building not just a factory, but a long-lasting partnership with this community. Together, we will create jobs, drive innovation, and contribute to the future of mobility.
In February 2025, Isuzu announced plans to establish the new facility as part of its efforts to further expand its North American operations.*
With the groundbreaking ceremony as the first step, the new facility has begun installing vehicle production lines within an existing building. Going forward, while monitoring the adoption of electric commercial vehicles in the US market, the new facility will feature state-of-the-art equipment designed for flexibility and scalability, enabling a variable-model, variable-volume production system that can also accommodate the continued demand for internal combustion engine vehicles. In addition, by transferring production of North America-bound vehicles from Isuzu’s Fujisawa plant to the new facility, the company aims to reach an annual production capacity of approximately 50,000 units by 2030.
Isuzu will continue to further accelerate its efforts to establish a strong foothold in the North American market, identified as a key region in its Mid-Term Business Plan “ISUZU Transformation – Growth to 2030 (IX)” as the Group works toward realizing its purpose of “Moving the World – for You.”
Overview of new facility
| Name | Piedmont facility |
|---|---|
| Location | Greenville County, South Carolina, USA 7755 Augusta Road Piedmont, SC 29673 |
| Area | Site area: approx. 750,000 m2; Facility (building) area: approx. 93,000 m2 |
| Total investment amount | Approx. US$280 million (planned) |
| Commencement of operations | 2027 (planned) |
| Vehicles produced | N-series BEV/gas models, F-series diesel models |
| Annual production capacity | Approx. 50,000 vehicles (by 2030) |
| Number of employees | More than 700 (by 2028) |
Overview of INAC
| Company name | Isuzu North America Corporation |
|---|---|
| Location | 1400 S. Douglass Road, Suite 100, Anaheim, CA 92806, U.S.A |
| Established | November 2008 |
| Capital | US$232.78 Million |
| Investment ratio | Isuzu 100% |
| Representative | Noboru Murakami |
| Business | Supervision of local subsidiaries, import and sale of commercial vehicles and repair parts, import and assembly of production parts, provision of common indirect operations to subsidiaries |
SOURCE: Isuzu
