[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         BMW PRODUCES 5 MILLION

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                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 1, 2020

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, South Carolina has 
become America's number one exporter of autos with the success of BMW 
and now enhanced with new Volvo production and Mercedes vans. With the 
vision of the late Governor Carroll Campbell who recruited BMW, 
thousands of jobs have been achieved at BMW and its suppliers.
  The achievements of 5 million produced by BMW was highlighted by The 
Columbia Business Report of June 22nd:


             bmw manufacturing passes production milestone

       BMW has made 5 million vehicles in Spartanburg County.
       The milestone U.S.-made BMW is a red X5 M Competition 
     equipped with a 617-horsepower M TwinPower Turbo V-8 engine, 
     according to a news release. It was completed June 5 and will 
     remain at the factory to become part of the BMW history 
     collection. Others in the collection include the first car 
     made at the plant.
       ``You cannot be successful in business if you do not have 
     great products and great people,'' Knudt Flor, president and 
     CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in the news release. ``This 
     BMW X5 M Competition is a symbol of the success of our 
     products and the commitment and dedication of our associates 
     and supplier network. Every BMW X5 in the world comes from 
     Plant Spartanburg. We are proud to call South Carolina 
     home.''
       More than half of the BMW vehicles sold in the United 
     States are built at Plant Spartanburg, according to Bernhard 
     Kuhnt, president and CEO of BMW of North America.
       ``We cannot overstate the importance of Plant Spartanburg 
     to our sales network,'' he said in the news release. ``BMW 
     Group has long considered the United States to be our second 
     home and we are proud to say that the U.S. is in fact home to 
     the biggest BMW plant in the world. We congratulate our 
     colleagues on this historic achievement.''
       BMW celebrated 25 years of manufacturing in the Upstate 
     last year, when it built a record 411,620 vehicles. Nearly 
     70% of the plant's production was exported from 2010-2019. 
     Last year's value of exports was $9.6 billion, more than any 
     other U.S. carmaker for the sixth consecutive year, according 
     to the news release. The plant has expanded seven times, with 
     $10.6 billion in investment, and has 11,000 workers on site.
       ``BMW changed the very fabric of our state's economy when 
     it decided to locate in South Carolina nearly three decades 
     ago,'' Gov. Henry McMaster said in the release. ``That this 
     great company built its 5 millionth American-made vehicle in 
     Spartanburg should be a source of great pride for our people 
     and a reason for celebration. It's one more example of South 
     Carolinians sharing in the success of a company that has 
     become an integral part of our state because of its 
     dedication to our people.''

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