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Plant Spartanburg
BMW Plant Spartanburg's 7-million-square-foot campus is located right off Highway 85.

Our Plant.

BMW Plant Spartanburg's 7-million-square-foot campus is located right off Highway 85.

Our Plant.

BMW Group announced on June 23, 1992, that it would build its first full assembly facility outside of Germany in South Carolina.  At that time, 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. It was the fastest factory start-up in automotive history—a record 23 months from site groundbreaking to first car assembled.

Now over three decades later, the BMW Group has invested nearly 15 billion, and the plant has gone through six major expansions.  The seventh major expansion was announced on October 19, 2022- a $1.7 billion investment to prepare the plant for the assembly of electric vehicles and to build a high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff, SC. There are more than 11,000 jobs onsite with over 40 direct Tier 1 suppliers located in South Carolina and more than 300 suppliers in the United States.

Since 1994 the plant has assembled more than 7 million vehicles. Today it assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day and exports nearly 60 percent of its vehicles. The Spartanburg plant assembles the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes and their variants.

Innovation drives us.

At BMW, innovation in assembly technology provides new opportunities to enhance our assembly system. It enables fulfilment of individual customer wishes, increases the flexibility and quality of assembly processes, and improves overall efficiencies. 

Entire process line in body shop with Titan robots handling the vehicle parts.

In the body shop there are more than 2,600 high-tech precision robots. The impressive Titan robots are Kuka’s first six-axis heavy-duty robots capable of handling 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of payload. Using the Titan robots eliminates the conveyor system for this process area. The Titans pick up the entire underbody and carefully place it in the fixture so studs can be welded on. After the process is completed, the Titan moves the underbody from station to station until all the studs are in place.  The underbody process is much quicker and flexible with the Titans. Plant Spartanburg is one of the only automotive plants in the world using Titan robots.

Assembly and logistics associates are using a wearable technology that makes work for hundreds of associates faster and more efficient.  Working with a German startup company, BMW developed a scanner glove to replace the use of scanning guns. The smart glove has a bar code scanner that is comfortably attached to the back of the hand. This was first used at BMW’s Dingolfing plant at the spare parts logistics center. This new innovation enables the associate to have both hands free and is helping to improve efficiency, quality, processes and ergonomics.

Associate demonstrates the Scanner Glove holding out his arm in logistics area.
Associate in Assembly wears Exoskeleton Vest while working under a car body.

BMW Plant Spartanburg was the first automotive plant in the world to use an exoskeleton for overhead work. The current exoskeleton is a wearable innovative vest that significantly reduces stress and fatigue for associates who perform overhead work. This special vest, which is fitted to each individual associate, transfers the weight of the arms to the body’s core, evenly distributing the load to reduce stress. The vest provides arm support that helps elevate and support an associate’s physical arms as he/she works. The associate still maintains freedom of movement and motion while working. There are several other exoskeletons currently being trialed throughout the plant. BMW continues to lead the way in this field.

When the vehicle goes through the paint shop, there are dozens of holes on the underbody that allows the paint fluids to escape during the e-coat/phosphate bath.  Prior to going to through the assembly process the holes are plugged in, much of the process is performed by ABB robots.

When the vehicle enters the cell, the robot takes a vision picture of each hole that it’s programmed to plug. The robot checks for the roundness of the hole and makes sure the plug is going into the correct hole. It installs the plug, then takes another picture to ensure the plug has been installed correctly. The robots install between 80 and 95 percent of the 75 holes on every vehicle.

ABB Plug Robots in Paint Shop process area.

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg Facility Highlights.

BMW Manufacturing employs 11,000 people at its eight million square-foot campus. The Spartanburg plant assembles the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes and their variants. For 30 years, our associates have been proud to assemble more than 7 million safe, premium-quality BMWs for our customers around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the BMW Group is one of the largest automotive exporters by value from the U.S. with a total export value of about $10.1 Billion in 2023. 

The main assembly lines involved in the entire process are two massive body shops, two paint shops, two assembly halls and an several logistics centers. The Spartanburg plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles per day, running on two shifts. Sixty percent of its vehicles are exported to 120 countries around the world. Vehicles are loaded onto rail cars at the plant; then, a train transports them to the port in Charleston, South Carolina, or other southern ports, where they are shipped to Europe, China and other global destinations.

Our BMW Manufacturing associates are proud to assemble the Ultimate Driving Machine in South Carolina, and to be neighbors with the BMW Performance Center, home to the BMW Performance Driving School.

At the BMW Performance Center participants are able to enjoy many different BMW driving experiences, such as pushing a BMW M vehicle to its limits, going off-road in a BMW X vehicle, teaching new teen drivers the basics of vehicle control and gripping the handle bars of a BMW Adventure Bike while navigating an off-road course.

If you’ve recently ordered a new BMW, experience the unique opportunity of taking delivery at the Performance Center. This includes a class where you will get the opportunity to drive a BMW similar to your new BMW. Afterwards, a professional team of BMW experts will go over your new vehicle’s features before you take the wheel and drive it home.

Ownership of a BMW is not required to participate in a class, however what is required is a desire to push the Ultimate Driving Machine to its limits while learning to be a safer, stronger and more confident driver.

The Associate Family Health Center is a white building with a large windowed covered entrance. The pharmacy drive-up window is on the right side of the building.
The on-site vision center has wall panels with numerous frames available for associate to chose from.

BMW Manufacturing provides one of the most comprehensive, on-site health care centers offered by employers in the country. The Associate Family Health Center is a first-class facility, employing trained professionals who use the latest in health care technology. The center, a 25,000-square-foot facility, is operated by Premise Health. The Associate Family Health Center opened in January 2013 and has already expanded.  The Vision Center increased from a 600 square foot space to 1,100 square feet and the Dental office space expanded capacity to manage increased demand.

BMW Associates and their families have the option to use primary care services, dental, vision and occupational health/physical therapy. The center also features an on-site pharmacy.

Having all these services in one location is convenient and provides BMW associates with high-quality health care at an affordable price.

The Associate Family Health Center is a white building with a large windowed covered entrance. The pharmacy drive-up window is on the right side of the building.

Amenities Security Emergency Services

BMW Corporate Security, in conjunction with contract security and emergency services personnel, protect BMW Manufacturing under these guiding principles:

  1. Protect human life, health, and property
  2. Minimize adverse impact on the environment
  3. Protect the ongoing business ability of the company
  4. Develop partnering relationships with external emergency response organizations

BMW security and emergency services personnel are highly trained and equipped to respond to, and mitigate, practically any type of incident that occurs at the plant.  The staff works closely with other departments in its multitude of responsibilities, such as conducting plant safety inspections, averaging thousands of inspections each month. The department also provides fire and emergency training for associates throughout the plant.  BMW provides 24/7 security and incident investigation.  In all, more than 130 trained security officers and fire fighters patrol and safeguard the 1,000+ acres and all facilities located on the BMW Manufacturing campus.

To help offset BMW’s energy demand, BMW generates a portion of its energy (electrical & thermal) on site. The onsite Combined Heat and Power (CHPs) system is powered by two gas turbines and fueled by reclaimed methane gas piped in from the nearby Palmetto Landfill. The turbines create enough energy to satisfy about 20% of the plant’s electrical needs and about 40% of the plant’s total energy requirements. Use of methane gas reduces the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 92,000 tons per year.

Based on calculations provided by the EPA, the reduction of 92,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year is equivalent to the benefit of planting over 23,000 acres of trees annually or 30 times the size of New York City's Central Park.

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