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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

BMW Expects to Create 100 New Jobs at South Carolina Plant

08/03/2011
BMW North America has announced it will increase its workforce in South Carolina by creating 100 new professional-level jobs at its Spartanburg plant. These new positions will range from engineers to IT professionals and production management associates.

In 2011, the plant will produce more than 260,000 vehicles for over 130 markets around the world. Since sales of the vehicles produced here are increasing, in October the plant will begin operating on a six-day production schedule to meet this global demand. This activity is also behind the need for more associates.

"BMW is the company that brought South Carolina into the automotive club, and as BMW grows, so does our reputation in automotive manufacturing," said Bobby Hitt, SC's Secretary of Commerce.

Two new workforce programs at the facility will also be launched along with the additional jobs. Its BMW Scholars program will set up a partnership with three area technical colleges to provide work experience to students interested in skilled manufacturing careers. And the company's new Associate Family Health Center will be a first-class, 20,000-sq.-ft. (or more) healthcare facility for current and retired employees and their dependents. (BMW recently consolidated their fire, security management and equipment resources into one existing facility on its 4 million-sq.-ft. campus.)

"The BMW Scholars program is the perfect complement to our recruiting strategy. By investing in workforce programs that build a pool of qualified men and women, we are helping to sustain the future of BMW and skilled manufacturing in South Carolina," said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing.

Gov. Nikki Haley added that BMW is a perfect corporate example of "manufacturing excellence" in South Carolina as "they understand what it means to take care of and invest in their employees. These quality improvements and hires are why their employees invest in the quality of their product and are loyal to the company."

In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California. The parent company is BMW AG in Munich, Germany.

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