BMW, Volvo temporarily closing South Carolina plants over coronavirus
More manufacturing plants across South Carolina are set to temporarily shut down in the face of the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
Automakers Volvo and BMW each announced Friday they will be shuttering facilities in the Palmetto State.
Volvo will close all U.S. and Swedish plants from March 26 to April 14, it said. That includes its plant in Ridgeville, Berkeley County, which employs roughly 1,500 workers and produces up to 150,000 cars per year. It is the only American plant the company has.
Volvo also said office workers will work from home and hours will be reduced.
“These actions will secure jobs and ensure that Volvo Cars can come back to normal production as soon as it is possible and safe,” a statement read.
BMW also has one U.S. plant, in Greer, South Carolina, near Spartanburg. The facility employs 11,000 people and will close on April 2 for two weeks, the company announced.
“The dynamic development of the corona pandemic is having a major impact on the global demand for cars. We are therefore taking a flexible approach and adjusting our production volumes accordingly,” the company said in a statement.
The automakers’ decisions come one day after tiremaker Bridgestone announced it was closing two plants in Aiken for up to three weeks as part of a phased shutdown of all its American plants.
Boeing, Michelin and Continental Tires, all of which operate manufacturing facilities in South Carolina, remain open.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Thursday mandating all state employees who can work from home to do so, but has yet to issue a shelter-in-place or lockdown order mandating all residents stay at home except for those in essential businesses.
