Lewis E. Leibowitz, NAFTZ Board Chairman, presents the 2009 Exporter of the Year Award to Josef Kerscher, President of BMW Manufacturing in Greer. Courtney Gregoire, Director of National Export Initiative, International Trade Administration, was also an award presenter.
BMW's plant has steadily increased its export activity. In 2009, the plant contributed more than $3.1 billion in exports. In 2010, the company's export value grew to over $4 billion annually. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the current value of BMW exports confirms the company’s Greer facility as the largest vehicle exporter from the U.S. to non-NAFTA countries.
The facility produces approximately 1,000 vehicles each day and is the exclusive exporter of passenger vehicles through the Port of Charleston. This year, the plant is projected to produce more than 260,000 vehicles and will export approximately 70 percent of those vehicles to more than 130 global markets.
"BMW vehicles manufactured in South Carolina are a major contributor to the U.S. balance of trade," said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing Co. "Consistently strong, global demand for the vehicles built at our plant – the BMW X3, X5 and X6 - has led to a favorable impact on the U.S. economy."
This is the first full year of U.S. production of the new BMW X3. Strong global demand for the product has been ongoing since it was first introduced in late 2010.The plant originally began vehicle production in 1994. In the last 17 years, BMW Manufacturing has produced over 1.9 million vehicles.