Business Facilities - May 2008 - (Page 31)

cle, and X6 Sports Activity Coupe, and their respective variants for world markets. The company plans to increase overall production capacity at the plant from 160,000 units to 240,000 units by 2012. “The boost in the production capacity at BMW Manufacturing will positively impact the logistics, supplier, and distribution networks that support the manufacturing processes,” says Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing. While the supplier network may grow, existing suppliers will ramp up operations to provide automotive parts for the higher production levels, doubling parts container traffic and significantly increasing exports through the Port of Charleston. When BMW Group announced in 1992 that it would build its first full manufacturing facility outside of Germany in South Carolina, the company pledged to invest $600 million, to employ 2,000 associates by the year 2000, and attract at least nine suppliers to the state. By the year 2000, BMW had grown to more than 3,000 employees, and by 2004 that number grew to more than 4,600. Within that same time frame, in order to provide greater flexibility, BMW began to employ contract workers for specialty and administrative services. As BMW entered 2008, the number of on-site workers, including BMW associates and contract workers, grew to more than 5,400, with a total payroll of more than $450 million annually. In addition, BMW has a contingency workforce of about 900 workers, with an average annual payroll of more than $50 million. Today, BMW has invested approximately $3.5 billion in its A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S South Carolina operations. In addition, 52 automotive suppliers are located in the state, and 40 of those 52 suppliers have chosen to place new North American operations in South Carolina to partner with BMW. BMW’s North American supplier network has grown from 22 companies in 1992 to 194 companies today. All certified sites are created equal. not These South Carolina certified sites are: shovel-ready, saving industries time and money, adding certainty to the site selection process. Charlotte Each of these certified sites: Augusta is a minimum of 50 acres. has a completed Phase I Environmental Assessment. has municipal water and sewer on site or in close proximity. Hilton Head is certified by third-party Savannah engineering consulting firms. is subject to additional financial incentives. Charleston When an industry chooses a certified site in South Carolina, there are no surprises. Visit SCpowerteam.com today and see why all certified sites are not created equal. Contact Fred Gassaway at Fgassaway@SCpowerteam.com 1201 Main St., Suite 1710 | Columbia, SC 29201 | 803.254.9211 The Electric Cooperatives & Santee Cooper www.SCpowerteam.com #1503 at www.BusinessFacilities.com 31 http://www.SCpowerteam.com http://www.SCpowerteam.com http://www.SCpowerteam.com http://www.BusinessFacilities.com

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Business Facilities - May 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots The UK's Most Lucrative Locations, Pound for Pound Economic Development in a Flash Corporate Moves: Massachusetts Florida: A Ripe Climate for Innovation Innovating Big in Rhode IIsland Retail Set to Ride Out a Recession Corporate Moves: New Jersey South Carolina: A Sweet Spot in the Southeast Endless Opportunities in North Carolina Economic Awakening in the Mohawk Valley Metro Spotlight: Alexandria, LA Where Call Centers Call Home Texas Receives First Business Facilities State of the Year Award Advertiser Index Inside Livexchange

Business Facilities - May 2008

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