Article by: Bob Montgomery
View article as it appears on GoUpstate.comBMW supplier Magna Seating announced Thursday its Moore plant is now partially open
and that it s begun hiring, with plans to hire 480 workers in the next five years.
The United States, Canadian and South Carolina flags were raised at a ceremony at
Magna s new 230,000-square-foot plant, which will manufacture and supply seats for
BMW X models at the German automaker s assembly plant in Spartanburg County.
The building of this facility is not a short-term event, Plant Manager Steve Salvatore
said, according to his prepared remarks. It is a long-term commitment to Spartanburg
County. And as we move toward our grand opening in the spring of 2018, we know that
we are going to continue to need more people to get us up to full speed.
S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, a former BMW executive, attended Thursday s
announcement.
Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, the seating facility is Magna International s fourth
manufacturing plant in South Carolina. One of its plants is in Moonville, in southern
Greenville County.
Founded in 1962, Magna International has 328 manufacturing operations and 99 product
development, engineering and sales centers in 29 countries with more than 163,000
employees.
Ground was broken last December at the 20-acre Moore site at Pacolet Milliken s Tyger
Industrial Park North.
We ve been able to deliver the building on time, install all automated assembly lines,
train 50-plus production associates and initiate countless other projects in order
to deliver a safe and effective launch, Salvatore stated. In addition, and more importantly,
we started producing and shipping seats for BMW pre-production requirements and have
the task ahead of us.
Earlier this year, Spartanburg County Council approved tax breaks for Magna.
Magna spokesman Scott Worden said the company is now hiring. Applicants can go to
https://www.magna.com/careers.
Jobs advertised include production supervisors and operators, quality technicians,
material handlers, and assembly operators that pay $15 an hour and include paid holidays,
vacation and retirement accounts.
When Magna says that people are our greatest asset, that is not just talk, Salvatore
stated. It is the recognition of this fact that makes us the best at what we do, around
the globe and right here in South Carolina. We also believe in developing talent and
giving people the skills and tools they need to be successful.
Spartanburg Community College President Henry Giles said in his remarks that SCC is
in the business of talent and workforce development.
He noted that the community college provided space at its Spark Center SC formerly
the Center for Business and Entrepreneurial Development to help it prepare for the
new facility.
As an institution, we are building relationships with the businesses that surround
us, educating our students to fill our job openings, Giles said in a prepared statement.