BMW Manufacturing Increases Workforce

Prepares for New Vehicle and Growing Demand for Current Products

Spartanburg, S.C. – July 1, 2010… BMW Manufacturing announced today it will bring on board over 500 new contingency associates in the next few months to get ready for production of the next generation BMW X3. This workforce increase also prepares Plant Spartanburg to meet growing demand of other models currently being produced for worldwide markets. The company said workers being hired under this process will be eligible for health, dental, 401(k) and vacation benefits.

These actions are part of the overall start-up plan of the $750 million plant expansion that is nearing completion and will begin production this fall. Paint and body shop expansions, as well as the construction of a new assembly hall, were announced in March 2008.  These additions are proceeding on schedule and are a part of the company’s growing commitment to production in the U.S. When completed, the plant in Spartanburg will begin 2011 with an expanded capacity of over 200,000 vehicles a year.

“We are pleased to report that the BMW X5 and X6 vehicles produced in our Spartanburg plant are selling very well around the world, so we are adjusting our staffing levels to accommodate the increased global market demand, as well as prepare for the upcoming launch of the all new X3 sports activity vehicle,” said Josef Kerscher, President, BMW Manufacturing Co. in Spartanburg.

BMW’s production strategy is demand-driven in response to confirmed customer orders. This means that external market conditions dictate the production schedule and BMW’s contract staffing model has been a key to successfully maintaining this practice. Others in the industry are adopting this model, as well, since it gives the flexibility to quickly adapt to changing market conditions. 

“We are committed to developing and maintaining a talented manufacturing workforce in the Southeast U.S. and South Carolina in particular,” Kerscher said.  “With more than 70 percent of the vehicles we produce in South Carolina being exported to global markets with very diverse economic circumstances, we find it best to hire in an incremental fashion due to these uncertain economic conditions.”

BMW Manufacturing is the sole global producer of the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and the BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe. The company exports these vehicles to more than 130 markets around the world.  Later this year, BMW Manufacturing will begin production of the BMW X3, currently produced in Austria.     

MAU, BMW’s contract staffing partner, will be responsible for hiring these contingent associates. MAU will be hiring over the next several months. Qualified applicants should either attend job fairs at the Greenville OneStop (9AM-4PM) on Wednesday, July 7 and the Spartanburg Community College Tyger River campus (9AM-4PM) on Wednesday, July 14, or apply online.  Applications and additional details are available at www.mau.com/bmwjobs.

BMW Manufacturing began production in 1994 as the first European manufacturer to build and successfully operate a plant in the U.S. The factory celebrated its 15th anniversary in South Carolina last September and has produced approximately 1.6 million vehicles since 1994. Recently, plant officials, also noted that it has exported over 1 million vehicles from its Upstate South Carolina plant during this time span.

BMW Manufacturing Co.
BMW Manufacturing Co. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany and is the global producer of the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. 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. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.

The BMW Group
With its three brands – BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce – the BMW Group is one of the world’s most successful premium manufacturers of cars and motorcycles. It operates internationally with 24 production sites in 13 countries and a global sales network with representation in more than 140 countries.

During the financial year 2009, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.29 million cars and more than 87,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totaled euro 50.68 billion.  At 31.December 2009, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 96,000 employees.

Long-term thinking and responsible action have long been the foundation of the BMW Group’s success. Striving for ecological and social sustainability along the entire value-added chain, taking full responsibility for our products and giving an unequivocal commitment to preserving resources are prime objectives firmly embedded in our corporate strategies. For these reasons, the BMW Group has been sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the last five years.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:
www.bmwgroupna.com
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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address: www.press.bmwna.com.  Additional information, images and video may be found at www.bmwgroupusanews.com.  Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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