BMW Manufacturing will expand its logistics operations to a new building being developed across Interstate 85 from Plant Spartanburg.
The facility, located off Freeman Farm Road, is being constructed by Becknell Industrial. Total investment in the project is approximately $100 million. When completed, the new logistics center will be nearly one million square feet in size with an opportunity for future expansion.
“For nearly three decades, BMW has called South Carolina its second home. This expansion in our logistics operation represents our continued commitment to this state, and it will prepare Plant Spartanburg for the future,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “The new warehouse will allow us to consolidate our logistics processes as well as implement efficiency measures for a more sustainable logistics operation.”
When the new logistics center opens in the middle of 2022, it will allow BMW to consolidate two offsite warehouse operations – one for returnable containers and another for body shop parts – into one efficient onsite location. Inside the warehouse, shipments from suppliers will be sorted, then delivered to their respective Plant Spartanburg technologies. The result is a faster, leaner, more efficient supply chain.
To minimize the impact of truck traffic in the area and allow for easy access to BMW, two private bridges will be constructed to connect the logistics center to the BMW campus: one over Freeman Farm Road and the other over Interstate 85. The bridges are being built by United Infrastructure Group. Construction of the new bridges is currently underway.
Update on New BMW Training Center
Construction continues on the new $20 million, 67,000 square foot training center on the BMW campus, which was announced in February. When completed in the summer of 2022, the building will feature multiple classrooms for both professional development and technical training, an outdoor amphitheater, and a unique concept of outdoor meeting and workspace that includes wireless capabilities. The training center will also be home to BMW’s well-known apprenticeship program – BMW Scholars.
Since 1992, the BMW Group has invested more than $11.4 billion in its South Carolina factory. BMW Manufacturing is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, producing more than 1,500 vehicles each day. The plant exports more than two-thirds of its models to 125 global markets. For seven consecutive years, it has been the largest exporter by value in the United States. The model portfolio includes five top-selling BMW X models, four Motorsport X models, and two plug-in hybrid electric X models. The factory has a production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles and employs more than 11,000 people.