Like most other manufacturers around the world, BMW suffered through the worst of the international chip shortage, not to mention the pandemic, and had to temporarily close down some of its facilities. BMW's plans to introduce four new electric models have also forced it to make some operational changes at its factories, so it's fair to say that there are some big changes underway for the Bavarian manufacturer. The German automotive giant now plans to expand plant logistics operations at its plant in Spartanburg to include a new one-million-square-foot facility costing over $100 million, as well as a training center. BMW plans to have the new facilities up and running by the summer of 2022.
The plan with the new facilities is to allow BMW to consolidate two offsite warehouse operations for returnable containers and body shop parts into one efficient onsite location. The new facility will manage shipments from suppliers and organize them for use at the Spartanburg plant. The new facility will be connected to the BMW campus via two new private bridges.
"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. The new warehouse will allow us to consolidate our logistics processes as well as implement efficiency measures for a more sustainable logistics operation," said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing.
The new training center is also being constructed at a cost of $20 million and features a 67,000-square-foot training center on the BMW campus. The facility will feature an extensive number of classrooms for professional development and technical training and will feature indoor and outdoor meeting places, along with an outdoor amphitheater. The new space will also be home to BMW's apprenticeship program known as BMW Scholars. To date, BMW has invested more than $11.4 billion into its plant in South Carolina where popular models such as the BMW X3 and the BMW X5 are manufactured.
