BMW Mfg. Co. says its planned expansion at its Spartanburg, SC, assembly plant will add 500 new jobs.
The auto maker today provided a few more details surrounding the previously announced capacity increase that will see $750 million invested at the facility. Once completed, BMW will have poured $4.2 billion into its South Carolina operations.
The investment will add some 1.5 million sq.-ft. (139,000 sq.-m) of floor space and bring annual capacity to 240,000 vehicles by 2012.
The expansion includes 1.2 million sq.-ft. (112,000 sq.-m) for a new final assembly line that will be located north of the existing facility and be used to produce the next-generation X3 cross/utility vehicle.
The remaining 300,000-sq.-ft. (27,000 sq.-m) will be added to the existing paint shop, increasing its size by about 80%. The existing paint shop will be renovated.
Once completed, Spartanburg will produce three models, the X3, X5 and new X6, now in launch. A diesel version of the X5 for the U.S. market will go into production later this year.
“Centralizing our know-how for BMW X models in Spartanburg will enable us to work more efficiently, thus supporting our long-range corporate strategy,” says BMW Board Member Frank-Peter Arndt. “In addition, it was a logical step for the BMW Group as a global player to increase production capacity in its largest market.”
BMW says there currently are 5,600 workers at Spartanburg, including those employed at contractors. The facility operates 20 hours per day.
