“B” is for BMW

“B” is for BMW. The German upscale automaker Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) originated in 1916 as an aviation-engine manufacturing company. The company expanded to produce motorcycles and automobiles in the 1920s. In 1994 BMW opened its first complete automobile manufacturing line outside Germany in Greer, South Carolina. The Spartanburg County location won out over 250 other localities around the world. The company came to South Carolina largely because of the state's industrial training program which secured access to labor trained according to BMW’s specific needs and requirements. Additionally, South Carolina's transportation infrastructure with railroads, highways, and deep water ports provided BMW with quick access to North American and global markets. Today, BMW in Greer is the global producer for BMW X3, X4, X5, and X6 vehicles and coupes (and their variants) for more than 140 global markets.