BMW Group Showcases the Ecosystem ‘’Beyond the Machine’’ Driving Impact and innovation for advanced manufacturing.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. This week, BMW Group hosted a two-day “Beyond the Machine” media and stakeholder program at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, bringing together leaders from business, government, education, infrastructure and technology to examine the ecosystem shaping the future of advanced manufacturing in the United States. The program gave media, influencers and stakeholders an inside look at the people, partners and purpose behind BMW’s manufacturing leadership in the Americas and previewed a new study by the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business which demonstrates BMW Group’s economic impact in South Carolina. The event culminates today with the official opening of BMW Group Plant Woodruff, the company’s newly constructed high voltage battery plant. With the opening of Plant Woodruff, BMW Group also marks the start of battery electric vehicle assembly in the U.S.

“Beyond the Machine is about the full system behind every vehicle we assemble. It focuses on the impact, innovation and responsible business practices that connect our associates, suppliers, educators, infrastructure partners, communities and innovators,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC. “That ecosystem has created a blueprint for advanced manufacturing and made our continued growth in South Carolina possible.” Dr. Joseph Von Nessen, economist at the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business, joined Dr. Raymond Wittmann, newly appointed Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG for Production, and Engelhorn on stage to discuss the findings of the new study illustrating how BMW’s manufacturing ecosystem drives impact, innovation and responsible growth across the state. The South Carolina findings preview the results of a broader nationwide impact survey, planned for release in early 2027. “BMW’s economic footprint and impact extend well beyond the boundaries of its plants,” said Dr. Von Nessen. “Sustained investment, a deeply connected supplier network and high-value manufacturing jobs generate additional economic activity throughout South Carolina. We look forward to sharing the study’s South Carolina findings and, in 2027, a broader view of BMW Group’s contribution to the U.S. manufacturing economy.”

Beyond the Machine.
Held November 12–13, “Beyond the Machine” explored the workforce, supplier and infrastructure networks, community relationships and advanced technologies required to turn manufacturing challenges into transformation. Through discussions, demonstrations and facility experiences, sessions examined how BMW and its partners are developing and upskilling talent; strengthening supply chains and transportation infrastructure; applying artificial intelligence, digital twins and advanced robotics; improving resource efficiency; and maintaining a flexible production system that can respond to changing customer and market needs.

Together, the program presented South Carolina as a working blueprint for how sustained investment and cross-sector collaboration can strengthen manufacturing competitiveness across the Americas and around the world. A Manufacturing Ecosystem Built for Long-Term Impact. BMW Group first established a presence in the United States more than 50 years, and a manufacturing base in South Carolina more than 30 years ago. Since 1992, BMW Group has invested more than $15.8 billion in its South Carolina operations, expanding capacity, capabilities, and the number of jobs on site. Today, Plant Spartanburg is the company’s largest production facility worldwide and the global center of competence for BMW X models. Each year, more than 11,000 associates on site assemble up to 450,000 vehicles for the U.S. and dozens of markets worldwide. The new University of South Carolina study highlights BMW Group’s positive impact in the United States and provides updated metrics of the jobs, wages and economic activity supported by its operations and wider ecosystem. A preview of the South Carolina findings were shared first and will be followed by the broader U.S. study in early 2027.

Key Study findings include:

• BMW in South Carolina has a $36.1 Billion-dollar economic impact annually in South Carolina. An increase from $26.7 Billion in 2022.

• The jobs multiplier from BMW in South Carolina is 4.2, meaning that for every 10 jobs created at BMW Manufacturing, another 32 jobs are created elsewhere in the state, for a total of 42 jobs.

• BMW in South Carolina supports 55,327 total jobs with its economic activity generating $4.4 billion in total wages and salaries.

• From 2017 to 2025, Plant Spartanburg’s statewide employment footprint grew at an average annual rate of 3.3%, more than twice
South Carolina’s overall job-growth rate.

• Plant Spartanburg works with more than 400 U.S. suppliers which
support its large and diverse supply chain and extend its economic
impact nationwide.

Responsibility Across the Supply Chain. Across the broader Americas region, BMW Group works closely with a network of approximately 750 direct suppliers to advance innovation, standardization and the transition to a circular economy. Its work across the value chain focuses on decarbonization—particularly within the supply chain—as well as digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence. This supplier ecosystem extends BMW’s economic and innovation impact well beyond its factory gates.

The Beyond the Machine program concludes on November 13 with the official opening of BMW Group Plant Woodruff, a more than one million-square-foot high-voltage battery assembly facility approximately 15 miles from Plant Spartanburg. Together, the two plants establish an integrated South Carolina production network to begin assembly of the new BMW iX5, the first fully electric BMW scheduled to be assembled in the United States. By 2030, the company will assemble at least six fully electric models in the U.S.

“The future of manufacturing depends on our ability to learn, adapt and execute while keeping people, quality and customers at the center,” Engelhorn said. “Beyond the Machine makes that ecosystem visible and shows what is possible when industry and its partners share a long-term commitment.”