Posted on 03/10/2015 5:39:56 PM PDT by nascarnation
The commercial van segment is exploding in popularity in the US right now with a vast array of recent products from multiple marques, and there's even more on the way from automakers like Hyundai. Mercedes-Benz is trying to grab a bigger share of the expanding market, too, and is launching its smaller Metris here in the fall. Now comes word that Mercedes will construct a $500-million factory in Charleston, SC, that will build the next-gen Sprinter domestically.
According to Mercedes, construction of the new plant will begin in 2016, and when complete, the site will cover around 200 acres, including a body shop, paint shop and assembly line. It will also employ 1,300 people who will be building Sprinters badged as both Mercedes and Freightliner models.
Rumors about this new construction go back to late last year. Mercedes currently has to ship some partially disassembled Sprinters into the US from Germany, paying import duties on them, and then the company puts the vans back together at a site in Ladson, SC. The process obviously adds costs to the models, and the domestic factory should mean a more price-competitive vehicle. Plus, a local factory means quicker deliveries to dealers.
Despite the laborious import process, the Sprinter is a hit in the US. Mercedes sold 25,745 of them in 2014, which made the country the van's second-largest market behind Germany. They were first launched here in 2001 and since then have gained a nine-percent market share in the segment, according to the company.
Mercedes is on a construction boom at the moment. The company is building a new corporate headquarters for the US in Atlanta, GA, due to be complete in 2018. The German brand is also investing $2.4 billion to expand its Tuscaloosa, AL, factory to build models like the forthcoming GLE-Class.
Let’s not forget Boeing.
Yes,it was in jest.Unions,taxes and an Atlantic port (perhaps in that order) were surely among the important factors.
Tech School? Why not a liberal arts college? Sweet Briar
could used the money>
Is this the same vehicle that broke down and stranded the American Pickers?
Can’t say, if so that was not a good advert for them, but sales are pretty strong, that’s why Merc is building a US plant.
Most of these go into commercial use, word gets around fairly quickly between fleets, when they have a good number of a specific vehicle running, failures across a product line are often handled with factory policy adjustments if they’re past warranty.
Well that’s pretty cool! I knew about the Sprinter-based ones but was thinking of something with better fuel efficiency. At least until the fusion generator comes around!
A basic, non-converted Sprinter (especially with a diesel engine) gets surprisingly good mileage.
Don’t you have one of these? Want to chime in on the mileage?
And ... a state with just about anything an American could want, including some of the finest women on the planet. Now if they could only clean up the ocean refuse at the beaches ...
Michigan is a Right to Work State.
Taxes? General political/social climate? Access to the Atlantic (across which many of the parts are shipped)?
When a local government gives tax breaks to bring in new industry (Sprinters were already being assembled in SC as far as I remember from a local in Monk's Corner) the lack of taxes collected is counted from a zero before the industry arrived. That means the taxes being collected prior to the new industry amounted to zero so anything above zero is a net gain. With the employment bringing in extra tax revenues from employed workers the tax gains are on the plus side even if the company is not taxed the way existing companies/industries are being taxed.
BTW, you do realize ity is your money coming in 'tax refunds, right? It never belonged to your nanny state, they just convinced you that you were legally obligated to pay them for the right to be.
All the Mercedes made in US don’t get good ratings . . . just saying.
I was referring to actual handouts but your leftist reasoning deserves a response. If taxes are too high, lower them. For all. Not just the favored few cronies.
If this Van’s a rockin, don’t come knockin...
“Is this the same vehicle that broke down and stranded the American Pickers?”
I was going to note that it must be popular because of American Pickers.
I am told the van broke down in Auburn Maine. A freind ofmine was literally just up the street, but did not here about them being in the area until after they left. He was bummed.
What kind of marketing dumbass does it take to name a commercial van “Sprinter”?
I've been there, toured the place, and ran their track in my own BMW in one of their schools. Their suppliers, many with names familiar to German car owners (Bosch, ZF) are scattered around the US. As I recall, they manufactured the Z3—their two-seater sports car—and exported many to Europe!
Michelin has a plant just south of the BMW plant.
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