$750 million investment in Spartanburg announced

BMW will invest an additional $750 million in its Spartanburg plant in a move that will lead to the creation of 500 new jobs and a 50 per cent increase in production capacity. A three-year construction project at the South Carolina-situated facility will see a new 1.2 million square foot assembly facility built north of the current plant to accommodate the production of the next generation BMW X3 model. In addition, the existing Paint Shop will be expanded by 80 per cent and the Body Shops renovated.

After the work is complete, the Spartanburg plant will produce all BMW X3, X5 and X6 models, and production capacity will have increased from 160,000 units to 240,000 units annually.

Frank Peter Arndt, BMW Board Member for Production, said: “Centralising our know-how for BMW X models in Spartanburg will enable us to work more efficiently, thus supporting our long-range corporate strategy. In addition, it was a logical step for the BMW Group, as a global player, to increase production capacity in its largest market.”