TOPPING-OUT CEREMONY AT THE BMW PLANT LEIPZIG

Leipzig. The new buildings at the BMW Plant Leipzig are taking shape - the
right point to celebrate the topping-out ceremony, today, 30 May. The high
point of the ceremony for the pressing facility and the production building for
doors, bonnets and tailgates is raising the topping-out wreath and delivering
the topping-out speech. The new Minister President of Saxony, Stanislaw
Tillich, Leipzig's Mayor Burkhard Jung and the President of Leipzig District
Administration Walter Christian Steinbach, as well as other representatives
from politics and local government celebrated the topping-out ceremony with
around 300 employees working on the construction project and other guests.
Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW Board Member in charge of production, thanked the
companies and employees involved in construction for the work they had carried
out to date and praised the positive and committed cooperation with the
representatives from the political sphere and local-authority administration:
"When we were deciding on a site for this project, it was already clear that
Leipzig took a committed and pragmatic approach." This was a significant factor
in the decision in favour of Leipzig.
The sum invested in the expansion of this plant - for buildings and production
technology - is likely to exceed 100 million euros. Up to now, BMW has invested
more than 1.2 billion euros in Leipzig since 2001. Approximately 150 new jobs
are projected for this new production complex. The Minister President of Saxony
Stanislaw Tillich welcomed this development: "The investment clearly indicates
that BMW is committed to Saxony as the Land of the Car and to the pool of
highly-qualified skilled employees based in this state. I am very pleased that
BMW is creating more attractive jobs and also showing young people that they
have outstanding career perspectives in Saxony."
A new pressing facility forms the core of the expansion. The press line is 100
metres long and almost the length of a football field. Starting in 2009, steel
sheets will be pressed to form car-body components. At present, these parts are
still being supplied fully formed from other sites. A production building for
manufacturing doors, bonnets and tailgates is also being constructed as part of
the expansion programme for the existing body construction. This is also
scheduled to come onstream next year. The Leipzig plant is expanding the level
of expertise and capacity on site.
The plant site measures a total of 208 hectares and the new production
buildings are being constructed at the north-east of the site, in the immediate
vicinity of the current bodywork production building. The complex has
floorspace measuring some 26,000 m². A six-stage press with total compressive
force of 10,300 metric tons will be used to form more than 40 different
components. Steel sheet in the order of 55,000 metric tons is likely to be
processed each year.
The new facilities will be designed so that the massive application of force
will scarcely be perceptible outside the building. The press facility will be
constructed on low-vibration mountings and designed to reduce noise as much as
possible.
Another positive effect of the increased production of components at the
Leipzig plant is a significant reduction in the resources expended on logistics
for materials supply. In future, the plant will require fewer truck deliveries.
The BMW Group is therefore making a further contribution to sustainable and
environmentally friendly production.
BMW X1 will be produced in Leipzig.
BMW Board Member in charge of production Frank-Peter Arndt also announced today
that the new BMW X1 will be produced in Leipzig. A precise date for
commencement of production and market launch of the X1 will be announced later.
Four models are already rolling off the production lines at the BMW plant in
Leipzig: Apart from the 3 Series saloon, three versions of the BMW 1 Series -
three-door, coupé and convertible. The three 1 Series models are produced in
Leipzig exclusively for the global market. Daily production is currently
running at a peak of 700 vehicles a day. This means that the plant is currently
operating at slightly in excess of the capacity originally planned.
Since the start of production in March 2005, the number of vehicles produced
slightly exceeds 400,000 vehicles - the 400,000th automobile was manufactured
this week.
Around 5,400 employees are currently working at this site. Approximately 2,600
of these jobs are carried out by BMW employees, the other operatives work for
various service partners.
Today, the Leipzig plant is an important element in the global BMW Group
production network comprising 23 plants in twelve countries. About ten percent
of all automobiles supplied worldwide by the BMW Group (BMW, MINI and
Rolls-Royce) come from Leipzig. Every eighth BMW - i.e. more than twelve
percent - of total BMW production worldwide is "Made in Leipzig".