Leipzig plant begins 3-Series production
BMW's state-of-the-art factory in Leipzig sprung to life this week — providing a new point of pride for a region that has risen from the economic ashes of the formerly communist east to become one of Europe's leading automaking hubs.
The plant's inaugural vehicle, a BMW 320i in "sparkling graphite metallic," was manufactured for a customer from Leipzig. dpa photo.
Workers at the $1.7bn facility applauded as the first next-generation 3-Series sports sedan rolled of the assembly line early Tuesday morning.
The plant's inaugural vehicle, a BMW 320i in "sparkling graphite metallic," was manufactured for a customer from Leipzig.
Eventually, the plant will turn out as many as 650 vehicles a day and employ more than 5,000 workers in jobs spanning the entire manufacturing process — from construction and paintwork to final assembly.
All told, the sleek factory complex designed by award-winning Baghdad-born British architect Zaha Hadid is one of the biggest investments in eastern Germany since the reunification of East and West in 1990.
It is also proof that Germany's manufacturing economy has a future even in the age of offshoring.
BMW chose Leipzig over 250 other possible sites across Europe, including some in Central Europe where wages are much lower.
Announcing their pick in 2001, company officials said that Leipzig's excellent infrastructure and highly-motivated workforce outweighed concerns about higher labor costs.
Managers also value the ability to shift workers easily between Leipzig and their group's Munich headquarters. In addition, a flex-time system called "BMW's Formula for Work" gives them substantial leeway to adjust plant operating hours depending on demand.
It is that kind of flexibility that has drawn other automakers to Saxony, a state whose tradition of automotive innovation began in 1904 when local entrepreneur August Horch founded the firm that later became Audi in Zwickau, near Germany's eastern border with the Czech Republic.
Porsche and Volkswagen also have facilities in the region, including Volkswagen's showcase Leipzig facility that is the only one in the world to produce the company's new entry into the luxury market, the Phaeton.
In total, around 65,000 people are employed in the Saxony's automotive branch, which generates an annual turnover in excess of 7bn Eur ($8.3bn).
BMW's state-of-the-art factory in Leipzig sprung to life this week — providing a new point of pride for a region that has risen from the economic ashes of the formerly communist east to become one of Europe's leading automaking hubs.
The plant's inaugural vehicle, a BMW 320i in "sparkling graphite metallic," was manufactured for a customer from Leipzig. dpa photo.
Workers at the $1.7bn facility applauded as the first next-generation 3-Series sports sedan rolled of the assembly line early Tuesday morning.
The plant's inaugural vehicle, a BMW 320i in "sparkling graphite metallic," was manufactured for a customer from Leipzig.
Eventually, the plant will turn out as many as 650 vehicles a day and employ more than 5,000 workers in jobs spanning the entire manufacturing process — from construction and paintwork to final assembly.
All told, the sleek factory complex designed by award-winning Baghdad-born British architect Zaha Hadid is one of the biggest investments in eastern Germany since the reunification of East and West in 1990.
It is also proof that Germany's manufacturing economy has a future even in the age of offshoring.
BMW chose Leipzig over 250 other possible sites across Europe, including some in Central Europe where wages are much lower.
Announcing their pick in 2001, company officials said that Leipzig's excellent infrastructure and highly-motivated workforce outweighed concerns about higher labor costs.
Managers also value the ability to shift workers easily between Leipzig and their group's Munich headquarters. In addition, a flex-time system called "BMW's Formula for Work" gives them substantial leeway to adjust plant operating hours depending on demand.
It is that kind of flexibility that has drawn other automakers to Saxony, a state whose tradition of automotive innovation began in 1904 when local entrepreneur August Horch founded the firm that later became Audi in Zwickau, near Germany's eastern border with the Czech Republic.
Porsche and Volkswagen also have facilities in the region, including Volkswagen's showcase Leipzig facility that is the only one in the world to produce the company's new entry into the luxury market, the Phaeton.
In total, around 65,000 people are employed in the Saxony's automotive branch, which generates an annual turnover in excess of 7bn Eur ($8.3bn).
...the new plant is finally up!
