RALEIGH, N.C. – Governor Josh Stein announced Scout Motors Inc., an automotive manufacturer, will create 1,200 jobs in Mecklenburg County. The project will invest more than $206.9 million to establish its corporate headquarters operation in the City of Charlotte.
The Scout, originally produced by International Harvester from 1961-80, was the worldβs first utility vehicle capable of both off-road adventure and family duty. Scout Motors was formed in 2022 to craft the next era of trucks and rugged SUVs rooted in the same tradition that made the original an American icon.
Scout Motors will establish a 300,000-square-foot office for its headquarters which will serve as the home base for research and development, IT, finance, sales, marketing, and other corporate functions of the company.
While salaries for the positions will vary, the average annual salary is expected to be $172,878, exceeding the Mecklenburg County average of $86,830. These new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $207.4 million for the region.
Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the stateβs economy by $4.8 billion.
The projectβs projected return on investment of public dollars is 67 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $1.67 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grantβs reimbursement payments to a given company.
Since Scout Motors chose a site in Mecklenburg County, which is classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the companyβs JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $15.5 million into the stateβs Industrial Development Fund β Utility Account.
In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the Commerce Departmentβs Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Community College System, Central Piedmont Community College, the University of North Carolina System, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Mecklenburg County, CharlotteWorks, and the City of Charlotte.
