BMW to Add 500 Jobs

BMW Mfg. Co. says its planned expansion at its Spartanburg, SC, assembly plant will add 500 new jobs.

The auto maker provides 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.