Located in Timmonsville, South Carolina, Honda South Carolina Manufacturing is the sole facility used by the Japanese manufacturer to produce their side-by-sides like the Pioneer and Talon. On August 6, SCM produced a Honda Pioneer 1000 that marked the factory’s 500,000th UTV built.

“I’m extremely proud of our team in Timmonsville,” SCM site lead Travis Lee stated. “Their work and ongoing commitment and passion for our business and customers are the reason we’ve achieved this impressive milestone and many others over the years. No matter where our associates are in their careers at SCM, they are a part of our success, and I appreciate their continued efforts and teamwork.”

The Pioneer 1000 is a vehicle with a 999cc liquid-cooled engine, the most powerful in the Pioneer family of utility side-by-sides. The Talon, meanwhile, is Honda’s performance and sports UTV.

Glascow Montgomery, a machinist at SCM since 2001, was given the honor of driving the milestone Pioneer off the assembly line. Balloons were also mounted at the end of the line to celebrate the occasion. Afterward, the Pioneer was put on display in the building’s cafeteria alongside a banner signed by employees.

“I want to make sure these units are perfect for our customers,” commented Montgomery. “When the unit makes its way to me, I’m listening to the engine, testing the steering wheel and checking the lights. It’s important to me that we do things right.”

South Carolina Manufacturing began life as a $30 million, 200,000-sq ft factory that aimed to alleviate stress on Honda’s only other ATV plant in Marysville, Ohio, and revitalize the town of Timmonsville, which had not seen new industry in 30 years and was struggling with a 5.7 percent unemployment rate. Honda had also been expanding its American footprint and the Southeast was seen as the ideal location since the region accounted for nearly half of Honda’s quad sales. The Marysville facility is still open today, albeit solely for cars.

Staffed mainly by workers from the area (as part of Honda’s approach of “Glocalization”: a global company integrated into its locale), SCM began production on July 1, 1998. Its initial scope was ATVs like the Honda FourTrax, and added ATV engines to the list of jobs two years later. After just five years, the factory had already produced over 250 thousand ATVs. When Honda entered the personal watercraft business with the AquaTrax line, a second plant adjacent to the existing SCM facility opened in December 2002.

In 2013, SCM started building the Pioneer. ATV production was moved to Honda North Carolina Manufacturing in Swepsonville, which produced power equipment like lawnmowers, in July 2023.

SCM was named Manufacturer of the Year in 2005 by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers, followed by the South Carolina Large Manufacturer of the Year in 2008.

Featured image credit: American Honda