The milestone came exactly on the plant's 15 year inauguration since it first opened its doors on September 8, 1994. Then, the first BMW to come out the Spartanburg facility was a 318i. Two days ago, the 1.5 millionth BMW was a 2009 BMW X6 xDrive 35i with oyster interior and right-hand drive, for the Hong Kong market.
The car was driven at the ceremony by Associate Eileen Huffman. "Today's events represent a significant milestone for BMW, emphasizing both BMW's commitment to the US market and its confidence in the future," stated Josef Kerscher, President of BMW Manufacturing. "We are very proud of the positive impact this BMW plant has delivered for this area and the quality of the vehicles that our associates produce for world markets each day."
Future plans for the Spartanburg plant include the production of the BMW ActiveHybrid X6, BMW's first hybrid vehicle, later this year and completing the $750 million expansion to allow the manufacturing of the next generation BMW X3. BMW in Spartanburg, SC currently employs 5,000 people including contractors and produces 500-600 vehicles per day.
"According to the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business, who conducted an economic impact study on the plant in 2008, BMW's South Carolina factory supports 23,050 jobs and generates $1.2 billion in wages and salaries annually within the state. In addition, the total economic output associated with BMW's annual economic activities is more than $8.8 billion in South Carolina," said the BMW statement.
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