Upstate automotive supplier ZF Group to expand factory, add 400 jobs to keep pace with BMW By David Wren 18 hrs ago Automotive supplier ZF Group, which makes transmissions for BMW vehicles built in the Upstate, said it will expand its Laurens County factory to keep pace with the German automaker’s plans to build more electric vehicles.
ZF Group said it plans to spend $500 million to add production at its Gray Court campus, with the aim of adding 400 jobs to an existing payroll of roughly 2,700 people.
The company opened its Upstate plant in 2013 to produce eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions for BMW and other automakers. The expansion will focus on transmissions and other advanced equipment for battery-powered cars, with production expected to start by the end of this year.
“This is (the) first step to ensure ZF Gray Court remains a critical part of our major e-mobility transformation in North America and globally,” Tobias Brugger, ZF’s vice president and plant manager, said in a written statement. “Having the capability to produce the propulsion systems of today, and e-mobility products of tomorrow, under one U.S. roof and in South Carolina, is critical to serving our customers in the U.S. and globally.”
BMW is investing $1 billion into its Spartanburg County plant to focus on EV production, with plans for up to six fully electric models by 2030. That campus in Greer, which opened in 1992, now employs about 11,000 people following more than $12 billion in investments by the automaker.
This is the second expansion this year for ZF’s plant in Laurens County. In May, the company said it was wrapping up a $200 million project to add a production line for its PowerLine Transmission used in trucks, buses and commercial vehicles. That new line can build more than 200,000 transmissions per year.
The state’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development has given a $15 million grant to Laurens County to help with the cost of building improvements for the expansion. The council, which is administered by the state’s Commerce Department, has also approved job-related tax breaks for the project.
“With more companies expanding product lines to include electric vehicles, ZF’s investment will help strengthen the company’s position as a global leader for e-mobility products,” Harry Lightsey, the state’s commerce secretary, said in a written statement.
Individuals interested in jobs at the ZF plant can visit the company’s careers page.
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