GSA Daily Staff Report
Published June 8, 2010

BMW's plant in Spartanburg posted another production milestone in its 15-year history as the one-millionth BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle rolled off the production line today at BMW Manufacturing Co.

The Black Sapphire X5 xDrive 35i with cinnamon brown Nevada leather interior is bound for a customer in China.

The production benchmark for the BMW Group’s only U.S. manufacturing facility comes at a time when the manufacturer is just months away from completing a $750 million expansion to prepare for production of the next generation BMW X3.

The BMW X5, originally launched in Spartanburg in 1999 as the first vehicle in the Sports Activity segment, laid the groundwork for BMW as the most successful premium vehicle manufacturer in the SAV/SUV segment during its 11-year history, the company said.

“The success of the X5 is directly attributable to the designers of the vehicle, our parts suppliers and the many dedicated and hard working associates who continue to come together and create such a special vehicle," said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing, during a ceremony at the end of the production line.

The one-millionth X5 coming off the assembly line today was ordered by a customer in China and will soon be shipped to the Port of Charleston to begin its journey overseas.

Joining Kerscher at today’s event were Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor and South Carolina State Ports Authority board member Richard Hagins.

BMW Manufacturing began production in 1994 as the first European manufacturer to successfully build and operate a plant in the U.S. The factory celebrated its 15th anniversary in South Carolina last September and has produced approximately 1.6 million vehicles since that time. Of that number, plant officials said the plant has exported more than one million vehicles from the Greer assembly plant.

BMW Manufacturing Co. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany and is the global producer of the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California.