Many of us want to buy American vehicles because we want to support U.S companies, stimulate our own economy and encourage American jobs. However, did you know that many foreign companies have massive factories here which are responsible for thousands of American jobs? On the other hand, some brands which are typically classified as American are actually built out of the country!

Plants of foreign auto companies can be found everywhere; some are found in the deep south while others are located in the midwestern states. One prime example is the plant in South Carolina belonging to BMW, a German luxury auto company. Production is impressive; this factory makes over 120,000 cars every twelve months and is responsible for more than three thousand jobs.

Foreign auto manufacturers have plants spread out around the U.S. For example, BMW makes many of its models in Spartensburg, South Carolina. The plant has the capability of making as many as 120,000 cars a year, it employs more than 3,000 American workers and it has been producing cars since 1994.

Honda has two plants in Ohio and one in Alabama. Combined the factories have the capability of making 984,174 cars and they employ 12,800 American workers. German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has a plant in Vance, Alabama, can make more than 100,000 cars and employs 1,900 Americans.Japanese car manufacturer Mitsubishi has one plant in Normal, Illinois which can make 240,000 cars and employs 3,160 Americans. Nissan has plants in TN and MS which when combined are responsible for more than fourteen thousand jobs. Isuzu and Subaru both utilize the same factory which outputs over 126,000 autos and accounts for more than 2,500 paychecks.

There are more factories than ever for European and Japanese companies, especially within the last decade. The South was behind a bit financial wise compared with the Northern states and as a result they welcomed these factories state with open arms. These states knew that factories would lead to more American jobs in their own backyard.

Factories don’t just lead to jobs inside the plant; they affect and stimulate all levels of the economy. Occupations affected may include auto sales, computer science, programmers, road workers, the tire industry and many more. Alabama actually spent close to $1 billion over a 15 year period on such things as tax abatements, worker training and road construction. For its $1 billion investment Alabama lured $7 billion in investments. In the early 1990s Alabama lured Mercedes-Benz to the state with a package that included $253 million in incentives. What the state got was a plant that employs about 1,500 people in the town of Vance.
What made these foreign companies want to set up shop here is because the states were so welcome for jobs that they built the infrastructure to support the factories. Not only that, but these companies received big tax savings and breaks. Moreover these states have Right to Work laws which discourage the development of unions.

As you can see, appearances can be deceiving. It is possible to buy a Japanese or European car that was built in the U.S and supports American jobs.

Author Bio: Written by Quinn Berry – Ford Ft Worth also known as Ford Flower Mound has a great selection of cars and trucks in the Dallas area. Visit Ford Highland Village for great deals on cars in Texas.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: cars made in the u.s, what cars made in america, foreign cars made in ameruica