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National Geographic Channel to Feature BMW’s South Carolina Plant in Documentary, Ultimate Factories

BMW announced today that the National Geographic Channel (NGC) will air an hour-long documentary on the making of the BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle as part of the popular Ultimate Factories series. 

Premiering Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic Channel, Ultimate Factories: BMW X3 will be the second time NGC has featured a BMW built exclusively in South Carolina. In 2007, BMW’s Z4 Roadster, also built at the South Carolina factory until 2008, was featured on Ultimate Factories. 

National Geographic Channel spent almost two weeks at the BMW factory in early June producing and filming the new program. “Once again, BMW was very pleased to welcome the National Geographic Channel into our plant. We are proud to show people all over the world the quality and craftsmanship of BMW X3, X5 and X6, built exclusively for over 130 markets around the globe,” said Josef Kerscher, President, BMW Manufacturing. 

Currently, the new BMW X3, which began production in South Carolina in September 2010 and went on sale in the U.S. in early 2011, has become a bestseller for the company ― with nearly 80,000 vehicles sold globally in 2011. 

In 2008, BMW announced a $750 million investment in its South Carolina operation to expand the factory by 1.5 million square feet to build the new BMW X3. The company is projecting over 270,000 BMWs will be produced in South Carolina in 2011. 

BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC 

BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany and is the global producer of the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW Group North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.

BMW Group In America 

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 339 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 139 BMW motorcycle retailers, 110 MINI passenger car dealers, and 36 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.