History
When BMW announced in 1992 that it would build a manufacturing facility in the United States to strengthen its international production system, a new era began. The location: a 1,150-acre site in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, a state with little-known expertise for automotive production, yet a proven record in public/private, pro-business partnerships. Among South Carolina’s assets: a qualified workforce and additional training through its Technical Education System; easily accessible transportation facilities, including a deep-water port, major airport, modern rail and road systems; and strategic location within easy distribution range of a majority of BMW’s primary United States markets.
BMW Manufacturing ia an integral part of the BMW Group Production Network that includes 23 sites in 12 countries on four continents.
BMW Manufacturing Co. is a BMW Group company. Its website address is www.bmwusfactory.com. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American companies include sale, marketing, design and financial services operations in the United States, Mexico and Canada, as well as throughout Latin America.
Factory Chronology
| June 22, 1992 |
South Carolina plant announced |
| September 30, 1992 |
Groundbreaking ceremony held |
| April 6, 1993 |
Construction began |
| January 4, 1994 |
First production associates hired |
| July 11, 1994 |
BMW associates moved into facility |
| September 8, 1994 |
First 318i came off assembly line |
| March 2, 1995 |
First US-made 318i sedans shipped |
| July 12, 1995 |
ISO 9002 quality certification awarded |
| September 20, 1995 |
First Z3 Roadster came off assembly line |
| October 28, 1997 |
100,000th Z3 Roadster produced |
| May 12, 1998 |
Expansion to build X5 announced |
| November 4, 1998 |
ISO 14001 environmental certification awarded |
| September 2, 1999 |
X5 U.S. production began |
| June 27, 2000 |
$300 million expansion announced |
| February 12, 2001 |
250,000th Z3 produced |
| August 23, 2001 |
100,000th X5 produced |
| June 28, 2002 |
Final Z3 produced |
| July 11, 2002 |
500,000th BMW produced |
| September 26, 2002 |
$400 million additional investment announced |
| September 30, 2002 |
10th Anniversary of BMW in South Carolina |
| October 22, 2002 |
Z4 Roadster production began |
| September 26, 2003 |
2004 X5 enters production |
| November 12, 2003 |
Ground breaking on 400-acre Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus |
| April 1, 2004 |
X5 4.8is high performance model production begins |
| November 8, 2004 |
100,000th Z4 rolls off the line |
| June 9, 2005 |
500,00th X5 produced |
| January 8, 2006 |
Updated Z4 production begins
M Roadster production begins |
| February 28, 2006 |
1,000,000th vehicle rolls off the line |
| April 4, 2006 |
Z4 Coupe and M Coupe production begins |
| May 2, 2006 |
BMW announces that it will use recycled landfill methane gas to power ovens in its paint shop becoming the world's first "green" automotive paint shop |
| September 21, 2006 |
BMW becomes the world's first "green" automotive paint shop utilizing recycled methane gas to power its ovens |
| September 22, 2006 |
Production of the original X5 ends |
| September 28, 2006 |
First "Next-Generation" X5 rolls off the line |
| January 8, 2007 |
BMW Manufacturing has been named a '2006 Top Plant' by Plant Engineering Magazine |
| September 20, 2007 |
BMW Manufacturing ships 100,000th "Next Generation" X5 |
| December 3, 2007 |
Production begins on the X6 Sports Activity Coupe |
| March 10, 2008 |
$750 million expansion |
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