Orangeburg Stakes Its Claim in America’s New Automotive Frontier
- CUBNSC
- 20 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Javar Juarez | CUBNSC | December 8, 2025
SODECIA–AAPICO Joint Venture Breaks Ground on $120 Million Advanced Manufacturing Facility, Anchoring Scout Motors’ Revolutionary Traveler Platform
Orangeburg, South Carolina - On a cold December afternoon, inside the warm halls of the Orangeburg Country Club, a moment twenty years in the making finally came to life. Because of the rain, the groundbreaking ceremony for SODECIA AAPICO’s $120 million manufacturing facility—the newest anchor in Scout Motors’ American revival—began indoors. But the weather did nothing to dampen the weight of the occasion.
Orangeburg County, once overlooked in the shifting landscape of American manufacturing, now stands at the epicenter of a national industrial resurgence—powered by global partnerships, cutting-edge engineering, and a local community that spent decades preparing for this moment.
Just after the ceremony concluded, stakeholders moved to the project site off Chase Street, where the reality of what is taking shape became unmistakable: a 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art plant that will produce one of the most advanced ladder-frame platforms in the automotive market today.
This is not just another plant.
This is the foundation of the Scout Harvester, the range-extender hybrid platform that is poised to change the American automotive landscape.
A Deal Forged Across Continents, Realized in Orangeburg
From Portugal to Thailand, from Detroit design studios to a rain-soaked country club in South Carolina—this partnership was destined for a global stage.
The ceremony followed the official program sequence meticulously , with regional leaders, state officials, international executives, and members of Congress reflecting on how a small rural site prepared by Tri-County Electric Cooperative nearly two decades ago is now home to one of the most consequential automotive investments on the East Coast.
The joint venture between SODECIA (Portugal) and AAPICO (Thailand/Malaysia) represents a marriage of global engineering excellence:
SODECIA, a full-service Tier 1 supplier with expertise in structural components, powertrain systems, and safety engineering
AAPICO, one of Asia’s premier manufacturers of OEM frames, jigs, dies, and precision components
Together, they were selected by Scout Motors and Volkswagen, who demanded a supplier with the capability to produce what Yeap Swee Chuan called “one of the most complicated frames we have ever seen” during the press period that followed the ceremony.
This ladder-frame platform will underpin both Scout vehicles—the Traveler and the Terra—including the groundbreaking Harvester powertrain, the hybrid EV/gas architecture capable of delivering over 500 miles of combined range.
This range-extender capability, explained Scout’s VP of Strategy and Brand Ryan Decker, was central to the engineering challenge:
The vehicle needed the off-road authority Scout is known for: large tires, high ground clearance, exceptional approach and departure angles.
It needed EV benefits: instant torque, rapid acceleration, a functional front trunk.
And it needed the gas-assisted range extender to solve the charging anxiety of the U.S. consumer base.
The result was a platform so complex that Volkswagen executives spent nearly a year evaluating frame manufacturers across two continents before selecting SODECIA and AAPICO.
Why Orangeburg Won
Ten sites. One clear winner.
“We looked at many, many locations—maybe up to ten,” said Yeap Swee Chuan." Based on the matrix, Orangeburg came out on top.”
Rui Montero added that Orangeburg offered the rare combination of:
Proximity to Scout’s Blythewood production center
Rail logistics essential for delivering oversized frames daily
A deepening regional labor pool—including South Carolinians returning home
Infrastructure already in place, thanks to Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s long-term vision
He said it plainly:
“This site was made for this project—it was twenty years in the making.”
The cooperative’s CEO, Chad Lowder, reflected emotionally during his remarks:
“I remember standing on that land twenty years ago wondering what could be here… and through God’s blessings and a lot of work, it has come.”
The Global Engineering Behind the SCOUT Frame
The Harvester frame isn’t just a structural component—it’s a technological convergence point.
It must support full-electric drivetrain architecture
It must carry the range-extender gasoline engine
It must meet best-in-class off-road demands
It must integrate AI-driven manufacturing and design processes
It must support future Scout family configurations
According to Decker:
“This platform carries the ambitions of the entire company.”
According to Montero:
“Launching a new product in a new plant for a brand that is being reborn—this is the combination of every challenge imaginable.”
And according to Yeap:
“It is one of the most challenging frames ever engineered, and we are proud to build it in Orangeburg.”
Officials, Leaders, and Witnesses to a New Era
Present for the ceremony were state and local leaders who have shaped Orangeburg’s political and economic trajectory:
Congressman James E. Clyburn
Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter
Senator Brad Hutto
Representative Jerry Govan
Mayor Michael Butler, City of Orangeburg
Chairman Johnnie Wright Sr., Orangeburg County Council
Kenneth Middleton, Chairman, Orangeburg County Development Commission
Officials from the S.C. Department of Commerce, including Deputy Secretary Ashley Teasdale
Their presence signaled the political and regional significance of this investment—not as another corporate ribbon-cutting, but as a strategic reshaping of the manufacturing corridor stretching from Orangeburg to Blythewood.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative: The Unsung Catalyst
Every leader on stage—local, state, and international—credited Tri-County Electric Cooperative for having the patience and vision to purchase, prepare, and preserve the site long before anyone knew Scout Motors would ever arrive in South Carolina.
Since 1940, Tri-County has provided not only reliable power but also economic development infrastructure across Calhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Kershaw, and Sumter counties.
This project is the strongest validation yet of their long-term regional stewardship.
A New American Supply Chain Takes Shape
The SODECIA–AAPICO facility is the first major supplier in Scout’s U.S.-based supply chain, which will serve as a model for:
Domestic EV-component production
Hybrid propulsion innovation
AI-assisted manufacturing
Workforce development in rural regions
High-wage job creation
The executives made clear that this is only phase one.
Yeap stated:
“I hope the seed we plant today will continue to grow… and hopefully we expand further as well.”
For Orangeburg County, that expansion offers a generational opportunity.
A Milestone Worthy of Legacy
When Ashley Teasdale presented the official commemorative gifts on behalf of Governor Henry McMaster, she noted that this project reflects South Carolina’s vision for electrification, automation, and advanced manufacturing leadership.
Congressman Clyburn grounded the moment in history, invoking the state motto:
“Prepared in mind and resources.”
This project is the embodiment of that preparation.
A rural county prepared its land.
A cooperative prepared its infrastructure.
A state prepared its workforce.
And now, two global companies—guided by an iconic American brand making a comeback—have placed their confidence here.
There in the wet grass just off Chase Street, as shovels lifted the first soil, the message was unmistakable:
Orangeburg is not waiting for the future to arrive. Orangeburg is building it.