BMW to Build Brand Activity and Training Center
16 December 1997
BMW to Build Brand Activity and Training Center
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Dec. 16 -- BMW today announced that it
will expand its investment in the U.S. through the establishment of a
$12 million brand activity and training center. The new facility, to be built
on 125 acres near the company's manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, SC,
will provide BMW owners, employees and the public with the ultimate BMW brand
experience. The facility will house a domestic and foreign "tourist delivery"
center, a vehicle dynamics/active safety driving school for automobile and
motorcycle enthusiasts, and a center for corporate and retail professional
development activities.
"BMW, both the products and the brand, are most fully appreciated through
hands-on involvement," explained Victor Doolan, president, BMW of North
America, Inc. "With the possible exception of traveling to BMW's headquarters
in Munich, this new facility, combined with the existing Zentrum and factory
tour programs, will offer the fullest range of BMW experiences available
anywhere in the world. Upstate South Carolina's role as an exciting BMW
destination will grow even more," he added.
While activities will be phased in over a two-year period, the new center
is scheduled to be fully operational in the fall of '99. BMW will be the
first international company to offer such an expansive array of services in
one location in the U.S.
BMW Delivery Center
While BMW has been providing customer deliveries at its Spartanburg
manufacturing facility since 1996, the center will take the experience to an
entirely new level. In addition to offering international BMW customers the
opportunity to pick up their South Carolina-built Z3 roadsters in Spartanburg,
North American customers will now have the chance to take delivery of any BMW
car or motorcycle at the new center.
The center will mirror BMW's already established and successful European
Delivery program. This year more than 1,200 Americans will purchase a BMW
through an authorized BMW retailer in the U.S., but take delivery of it in
Germany.
BMW Driving School
A key element of the center will be an optional driving school. On the
facility's "Driver Safety Course," new BMW owners and potential customers will
have the chance to experience the responsive performance that has set BMW
apart from the competition. A variety of courses will be offered covering
vehicle dynamics, accident avoidance, and overall vehicle control. Customers
also will have the chance to experience innovative technology features, such
as All Season Traction and Directional Stability Control in a safe and
controlled environment.
Some of the driving experiences to be offered include:
-- The American Delivery Experience, a half-day program that includes
active Safety, adjustments and comfort.
-- A Basic Driving Skills Program, a one day program that covers driver
ergonomics, accident avoidance, and general vehicle dynamics.
-- A two-day Advanced Driving Skills Program covering all of the above
as well as a more in-depth exposure to active safety technology.
BMW Motorcycles Integral to New Center
Not only cars can be delivered in Spartanburg, but motorcycles as well.
North American customers taking delivery of their BMW motorcycle at the
facility will have a choice of several programs in which to participate. Some
may choose the motorcycle version of the Driver Safety Course. Others may
choose to take a scenic tour through the Carolinas including a ride along the
historic Blue Ridge Highway. All motorcycle training programs are designed to
make the rider more comfortable with their BMW and more skilled on the road.
BMW Professional Development
The new Spartanburg facility also will serve as the hub for the brand's
orientation, sales, service, parts, technical and management training programs
for retail center employees. The training programs will be divided into three
different schools:
-- A Management School where retailer personnel will be trained on all
aspects of the company's "Retail 2000" program.
-- A Technical School that will include an advanced diagnostician
course, similar to a masters degree in automotive diagnostics. The
adjacent factory will provide an excellent environment for technical
learning, too.
-- A Retail Operations School which will introduce new BMW retailer
employees to the company and teach them how to do everyday jobs.
Additionally, the school will offer advanced educational opportunities
for experienced sales, service and parts employees.
One of the unique programs already conducted in Spartanburg will continue
at the new facility. The center will offer a comprehensive new employee
orientation program specifically designed to encourage age, gender and ethnic
diversity in BMW's corporate and retail environment.
More details on the facility will be announced later in '98 in conjunction
with the facility's ground-breaking.
BMW of North America, Inc. was established in 1975, when the company
assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities for BMW automobiles in the
United States. Motorcycle marketing and distribution was added in 1980.
Since then the company has grown to include marketing, sales and financial
services organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina
manufacturing operation; a design firm in California; and various other
operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. BMW is represented in North
America through a network of 375 automobile and 190 motorcycle retailers in
the United States and Canada. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the brand's North,
Central and South American headquarters, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New
Jersey.
Information about BMW products is available to consumers via the World
Wide Web on the BMW homepage. The address is: http://www.bmwusa.com.
SOURCE BMW of North America, Inc.
