In May of this year, we brought you news that Swedish automaker Volvo had announced plans to build its first U.S. assembly plant. A recent press release officially announced that Volvo->ke188 kept its word and has begun construction of its new facility in Berkeley County, South Carolina. A time schedule for completion has yet to be announced, but the Swedes still intend to roll their first U.S.-made vehicle off the assembly line by the final quarter of 2018.

The plant will first begin production of the redesigned, Volvo S60->ke413 sedan->ke142 that Volvo has been busy developing in its home country. There will be a second model built at the plant as well, but Volvo has yet to release details on which model it has in mind. Initial staffing of the plant is expected to reach up to 2,000 employees, with a long-term goal of increasing to upward of 4,000. The American-built S60 will be exported globally to markets all over the world.

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Why it matters

This is huge news for Berkeley County. Even the initial hiring of employees will provide a significant bump to the economy, and should lead to the creation of jobs outside of the company as well. If the S60 sees as much success as the 2016 Volvo XC-90 and XC-60->ke3026, the new assembly plant will be an important asset for Volvo. The Swedish company has expressed its desire to sell more vehicles in the U.S., and this is clearly a step in the right direction.

Volvo S60