Lawmaker: Mercedes Sprinter vans to be built at Lowcountry plant

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - State Rep. Chip Limehouse confirms Daimler AG is expected to announce this Friday that Mercedes Sprinter vans will be built from scratch at Palmetto Commerce Parkway. Daimler is the parent company of Mercedes.

Last week, the project was considered "Boeing-esque" and that it would bring up to 1,200 new jobs to the Lowcountry.

Right now, the Mercedes Sprinter vans are only assembled at the Daimler AG  plant in North Charleston. The parts are shipped from Germany.

"There's going to be a demand for workers here like you've never seen before and we are going to meet that demand," said Limehouse.

State lawmakers are excited about the 1,200 jobs expecting to open up in the Lowcountry. Meanwhile, limo and transportation companies hope the local production will save them money as demand for these vans are high.

"I'm super excited that they are coming to Charleston to build these things. All of the jobs they're bringing and hopefully that means less money for us to buy them," said Tony Gentile, Owner of Tri County Transportation.

Gentile plans to buy 10 more of these vans because he says everybody loves riding in them.

"It's nicer than anything else, it's comfortable, it's luxurious and people love them," said Gentile.

Over at Charleston Style Limo in West Ashley, General Manager Bruce Hanna has 19 sprinter vans in his fleet and plans on buying more to meet the demand.

"We use them from big corporate events to air port transfers, cruise transportation and they're great for weddings," said Hanna.

Hanna says the vans hold a lot of space and are also convenient for golfing trips.

"They're agile; they can sprint around the city pretty quickly," said Hanna.

"We use them every weekend," said Gentile.

The existing sprinter plant in North Charleston is expected to expand for the construction of the vans. We're hoping to have new details on these new plans Friday when an official announcement will be held.

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