HTI CEO Herb Dew: “Could BMW’s $344M hit from tariffs lead to South Carolina job losses?”

How will tariffs that increase the cost of manufacturing cars impact operations at the Spartanburg, SC BMW plant? BMW executives recently announced plans to open another SUV production line in China. This raised concerns regarding a potential workforce reduction in the Spartanburg BMW facility. However, HTI CEO Herb Dew believes the modern Upstate Economy is resilient. As stated in an MSN article, “most manufacturers [HTI] works with pad their labor force with temps, maintaining contingent staffing in lesser-skilled jobs of about 10 percent as a way to prevent laying off any full-time workers during a slowdown.” See Herb’s thoughts about the impact on our job market and the Upstate economy in the article here.

If you have concerns about protecting your company from potential slowdowns in the future, HTI can be a resource. Contact our team to discuss project management staffing models which provide safeguards to shifts in production needs. Additionally, if your company is facing a slowdown workforce reduction, HTI Outplacement and Career Transition Services can partner with you to help your workforce transition smoothly.