Electronic vehicle maker Tesla announced Thursday that it will open a regional distribution center in Fountain Inn.
The city straddles parts of Greenville and Laurens counties; the site will be at the Fox Hill Business Park, within Greenville County.
Slated to open this year, the distribution site is Tesla’s first major investment in South Carolina. The development marks the second collaboration between the automaker and the New Jersey-based Sudler Companies, which developed Fox Hill and has a similar project with Tesla near Tampa, Fla.
Fountain Inn Mayor G.P. Mcleer said Thursday that the development is a testament to the Upstate’s role in the automotive industry; Tesla will join the likes of BMW, Michelin, and Giti Corp. with a footprint in the Upstate.
“We’ve been planning for that park to grow over time,” Mcleer said. “I think it’s a testament to our local economy, our workforce, and also the quality of life that we have here” that Tesla chose the city.
Mcleer added that while Tesla has not yet announced the amount of the investment it will be making, nor any jobs data, the project “will come with some good jobs and it gives some stability to some of our other manufacturers to know that the folks they supply to are investing in them.”
In a statement Kevin Landmesser, interim CEO of the Greenville Area Development Corporation, said, “The addition of Tesla to Greenville County can help raise income levels for our area and create quality jobs. We welcome Tesla’s addition to our community.”
