1,000 new jobs coming to SC with $155M plant to make mail vehicles
A Wisconsin company will invest $155 million and create 1,000 jobs in Spartanburg County in a plant to manufacture the next generation of vehicles for the United States Postal Service.
Oshkosh Defense, a subsidiary of Oshkosh Corp., will be located in the Flatwood Industrial Park to make zero-emission battery electric vehicles and fuel-efficient low-emission internal combustion engine vehicles.
The company will reconfigure an existing warehouse. Other suppliers for the Oshkosh plant are expected to locate in the area, the company said in an announcement Tuesday.
The vehicles will be the first large-scale purchase by the Postal Service in 30 years. The contract calls for 50,000 to 165,000 vehicles over a period of 10 years.
Oshkosh was selected in a competitive process that began in 2015 and ended with a multi-billion-dollar contract in February 2021, the company said.
Founded in 1917, Oshkosh makes a line of military vehicles for combat such as the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and other tactical vehicles .
Production of the postal vehicles is expected to begin in summer 2023.
John Bryant, Oshkosh Defense president, said Spartanburg was chosen because its workforce has a track record in advanced automotive manufacturing. BMW is located in Spartanburg County, as are a number of manufacturers making auto systems and parts.
“We know the people of the Upstate take pride in their work and their community. What we build together here will reach every home in the country,” Bryant said in a news release..
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called Oshkosh a world-class company.
“It speaks volumes of our business environment when a company of this caliber invests $155 million and creates more than 1,000 jobs in our state. Congratulations to this great company, and we look forward to all the things they will do,” McMaster said in the news release.
