BMW is proud of its commitment and economic impact in the U.S. Since 1992, BMW has invested nearly $15 billion in construction, equipment and other capital expenditures, and the Spartanburg plant has gone through seven major expansions. The seventh 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. Currently, the physical size of Plant Spartanburg is more than eight million square feet with three body shops, two paint shops, two assembly halls, and several logistics centers.
Approximately 70 percent of the steel and aluminum used in assembling BMWs at the plant is produced in the United States. More than 50 percent of Plant Spartanburg's vehicles are exported to 120 markets worldwide. 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 2024. The number of BMWs exported totaled 225,276.
In 2017, a study by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business showed that the annual economic impact of BMW Manufacturing in the United States totaled $38.5 billion. This corresponds to approximately 103,921 U.S. jobs. The annual economic impact of BMW (marketing, sales, financial services, and the assembly plant) on the United States totaled $43.3 billion. This figure reflects the dollar value representing all final goods and services produced across the U.S. that can be attributed (either directly or indirectly) to BMW. This impact corresponds to 120,855 U.S. jobs that would not exist otherwise.
While nearly 89 percent of BMW’s total impact on the U.S. comes from its South Carolina plant, BMW also has several marketing, sales, and financial service organizations that contribute to its national economic footprint. These include facilities located in Ohio, Utah, Illinois, California and Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, where BMW of North America is headquartered.
Nowhere are the effects felt more strongly than in the Upstate of South Carolina where quality jobs, revenue generation, and investment are helping lay the foundation for an even brighter future. Originally projected to provide 2,000 jobs, BMW Manufacturing now has more than 11,000 jobs on site.
In 2022, a study by the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business showed that BMW Manufacturing has an annual economic impact of $26.7 billion in the state, which reflects all goods and services produced directly and indirectly. Plant Spartanburg supports, both directly and indirectly, 42,935 jobs across the state along with $3.1 billion in wages and salaries. The plant's direct employment base accounts for 4.8 percent of all manufacturing jobs across South Carolina. BMW Manufacturing regularly uses more than 500 South Carolina suppliers, 90 percent of which are in the Upstate. With the large-in-state supplier base, BMW has a uniquely high employment multiplier of 3.5. This means that for every 10 jobs created at Plant Spartanburg, another 25 are created elsewhere in the state, for a total of 35 jobs.
