Two Decades of Economic Development
In 2014, BMW celebrated 20 years of production in the United States. Two decades earlier, when the first BMW assembled in North America rolled off the production line, the future of state economic development seemed promising. Yet, it was uncertain what the lasting effects would be two decades ahead.
Clearly, BMW has had a potent, enduring effect on the state’s economy. BMW comissioned the University of South Carolina to conduct a study to evaluate BMW’s contributions to South Carolina’s development at the 20-year milestone. The Spartanburg county campus engenders economic impacts that can be measured in terms of economic output, employment, income, and value added.
- BMW’s annual economic output amounts to $16.6 billion. This figure reflects the dollar value representing all output produced in South Carolina that can be attributed (either directly or indirectly) to BMW.
- The production of BMW automobiles supports 30,777 jobs in South Carolina.
- The BMW plant and associated businesses generate $1.8 billion in labor income that would not exist otherwise in South Carolina.
- The total impact of BMW on South Carolina’s value-added (similar to state gross domestic product) amounts to $2.8 billion.
View the 2014 USC Economic Impact Study.