Much fanfare accompanied Scout Motors’ announcement Wednesday that it plans to make Charlotte, North Carolina, its new, $207 million global corporate headquarters.

The governor was there. So was the mayor, alongside other local bigwigs. And why not. It was one of the biggest job creation announcements in Charlotte over the past decade. Plus, the average minimum salary for those Scout Motors jobs is expected to be nearly $173,000, or about double Mecklenburg County’s average wage.

The U.S. subsidiary of Volkswagen is aiming to create 1,200 jobs for its new headquarters that will be built in Plaza Midwood’s Commonwealth development, with hiring set to take place between 2026 and 2030.

Here’s what else you need to know about Scout Motors and the future for it in Charlotte.

Moving in and building up Plaza Midwood

Scout Motors will fully occupy a 145,000-square-foot building for its main office at the Commonwealth development in Plaza Midwood. The company plans to kick off the design of the workspace by the end of the year.

And it expects to begin customizing the space sometime in late spring or summer.

Scout Motors will occupy the rear portion of the historic property built in the early 1910s off Commonwealth Avenue. The company will work with a developer to renovate and adapt the vintage building into a space for vehicle engineering, research and development.

The company said it is looking forward to bringing teams and products together on one campus.

A second office building is planned to accommodate the company’s goal of 1,200 people. The company expects construction of the new office to start in the first half of 2027.

Scout’s honor

International Harvester was a company known for making agricultural equipment and large trucks, and it made the Scout from the early 1960s until 1980 to compete with the Jeep CJ.

IH vehicles were very popular among farmers and in rural America as an “eight-day-a-week truck” — comfortable on the farm or worksite during the day, and suitable for family outings such as church or off-road adventures on the weekend.

The company was known as one that would “feed, build and defend America,” Scout Motors noted.

The Scout helped create the modern SUV before the term even existed, offering drivers a comfortable, everyday vehicle that could handle off-road adventures. Launched in 1961 before the Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer, the Scout set the stage for future icons in the SUV world.

Scout vehicles were designed for toughness and versatility, able to handle rough terrain and farm jobs. Early models featured amenities like a removable roof, while later versions offered stronger engines and more comfort.

In 2022, Volkswagen introduced Scout Motors, a new company founded to bring back the iconic Scout brand by building a new line of all-electric trucks and SUVs. Now, the revitalized Scout Motors is producing vehicles with 1,000 pound-feet of torque, massive power for quick acceleration and heavy-duty tasks.

It will also have range extender technology, a powerful battery system that “gives people what they love about electrification,” according to CEO Scott Keogh.

Scout Motors is rolling out a new technology called Harvester in its new vehicles. This system uses a small gas engine to recharge the battery, giving drivers more than 500 miles of range. It combines the instant power and off-road capabilities of an electric vehicle with the convenience of refueling at a gas station or charging with a plug.

Historic ties in Plaza Midwood

Moving into the historic Commonwealth site is also special for Scout Motors.

Built in 1911, the property was a state-of-the-art factory for Cole Manufacturing, Scout Motors noted. Cole was an innovator in seed planting equipment, and the factory was once the largest in the world for agricultural seed planters.

By the 1940s, three-quarters of the South’s cotton, corn and peanut crops were planted with Cole planters, according to Scout Motors. By 1961, over 2 million planters, spreaders and drills had been manufactured here.

“We’re repurposing a building that helped farmers feed America using innovative technology,” Scout Motor spokesperson Jamie Lovegrove told The Charlotte Observer. “It doesn’t get much more ‘Scout’ than that.”

Brick by brick, putting it together

During a Wednesday news conference, Keogh revealed an “odd little brick” from the original Scout Motor factory in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It will be placed in the new headquarters to symbolize a commitment to the past and future.

“Never again will America let its icons get away,” Keogh said. “Never again will America let other people make our things.”

Over 530,000 off-road utility vehicles were produced by International Harvester at the Indiana plant from the 1960s until 1980, when it stopped production due to financial difficulties and a six-month workers’ strike.

Another brick is also at the new $2 billion electric vehicle production factory in Blythewood, South Carolina, near Columbia. It was added to the foundation during a groundbreaking in February 2024.

Connecting the Carolinas

Scout Motor’s announcement for North Carolina is also generating excitement across the state line. The new Charlotte headquarters could provide a boost for the larger region, given its proximity to the Blythewood site.

“I still think it’s an opportunity for South Carolina residents,” said I-77 Alliance interim President and CEO Chris Finn. “There’s no state line when it comes to commuting patterns.”

The I-77 Alliance includes five counties between Charlotte and Columbia, along or near Interstate 77. The alliance leverages economic development wins in both metro areas to promote job growth in places like York, Lancaster, and Chester counties in South Carolina

“We can kind of take advantage of both ends of the interstate there,” Finn said. “We do a good job of capturing the secondary effects, regardless of whether a project is technically in our area.”

Since South Carolina announced the company’s $2 billion plan for a Scout Motors production site two years ago, economic development teams just south of Charlotte have touted their areas for secondary businesses that might support the facility.

While South Carolina was in the running for the headquarters site as well, the company picking Charlotte may be the next best option.

“If it was going to go anywhere else, going in there still provides a lot of opportunity,” Finn said.

(John Marks contributed to this report.)

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