News and Press Releases for April 2007

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4/11/2007

Gov. Sanford Welcomes New BMW President

Meeting With New Head of BMW Caps Off Strong Week of Economic Development

Columbia, S.C. - Gov. Sanford capped off a string of economic development announcements this week by welcoming the new BMW President, Josef Kerscher, to South Carolina Tuesday. The announcement of BMW's new president comes as the company's Greer facility has completed upgrades for future innovation with the rollout of new models.

Over the past week, the Department of Commerce has announced plans for three marquee companies to expand or begin new operations in South Carolina. The combined announcements of Starbucks Coffee Co. in Calhoun County, Adidas Group in Spartanburg County, and Google Inc. in Berkeley County are expected to bring over 1500 jobs to South Carolina, and more than $750 million in capital investment.

"As we welcome the new president of BMW to South Carolina, we're certainly reminded of BMW's positive impact on our state's economy," Gov. Sanford said. "To that end, it's also worth noting the string of significant economic development announcements over the past week. Starbucks, the Adidas Group, and Google are world-class companies with proven records of innovation. These companies now join BMW and a host of other globally recognized companies in calling South Carolina home, and we look forward to growing our relationship with them in the years ahead."

BMW Manufacturing Co. has long been considered a pillar of economic development success and continues to have a significant impact on the economic development of South Carolina. Since 1992, BMW has invested over $3 billion and directly employs 4500 workers in the Palmetto state today. The company's indirect effects are equally impressive with 50 suppliers in South Carolina investing over $2 billion since 1992.