BLYTHEWOOD – On May 15, construction teams on the site of Scout Motors’ future Production Center in Blythewood erected the first steel support beams, marking another milestone in Scout’s progress toward building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
Over the past year, substantial work was required to prepare the grounds for factory building construction. Scout Motors collaborated with the State of South Carolina and Richland County to conduct extensive work such as grading the property flat, stabilizing the soil, relocating utilities, and adding upgraded and additional utilities. In total, the construction team moved more than 4 million cubic yards of dirt to ensure a flat surface pad for future structures.
Several weeks ago, Scout reached a significant milestone when construction started on the physical buildings, with the first foundations and footings poured in concrete. The company is now beginning to erect the main building columns, with the first roof structures scheduled to be in structures scheduled to be in place by the end of this fall.
According to Scout officials, plans are to have the building exteriors largely in place by the end of 2024, so that interior machinery and other equipment can begin to be installed in 2025. Construction remains on schedule for the new Scout vehicles to start production by the end of 2026, with the first retail sales of trucks and SUVs occurring shortly thereafter.
As construction enters this next phase, Scout officials say the company remains committed to being a good neighbor and will seek to minimize impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods as much as possible. Residents in the immediate vicinity of the site may notice additional truck traffic over the coming months. Trucks have been directed to follow routes that should help mitigate the risk of increased traffic congestion and damage to the roads. Given that building construction is mostly located in the central part of the site, an increase in noise during this next phase is not anticipated.