BMW Manufacturing to Host 11th Annual Supplier Diversity Xchange.
- Phil DiIanni
- More Than 2,300 Will Attend One of the Largest Supplier Diversity Events in America.
Spartanburg, S.C. - August 29, 2023... BMW Manufacturing and BMW Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas will host one of the nation’s largest supplier diversity events on August 30, 2023, at the Greenville Convention Center. Renamed the Supplier Diversity Xchange, the 11th annual event is an opportunity for women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses to participate in a day of professional development and to network with BMW’s Tier 1 suppliers.
“In a highly competitive market, creating a workplace that values and respects diversity adds value throughout the organization, sparks innovation, and improves productivity,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “For more than a decade, our Supplier Diversity Xchange has been opening doors for minority-owned businesses across the country. Cultivating a more diverse and inclusive workplace brings the richness of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives necessary to grow a sustainable and innovative organization.”
This year’s event includes 240 exhibitors and more than 2,300 registered attendees. Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to attend breakout sessions on professional development topics and drive BMWs at the BMW Performance Center. Registration for this year’s event is closed.
This year’s special guest is Mervant Vera, a magician and musician from Philadelphia who finished as a top semi-finalist on America’s Got TalentTM and is a headline act for the AGT Superstars in Las Vegas. Mervant will share his message of diversity as he performs magic with Dr. Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network; Oliver Haase, senior vice president of Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas; and several members in the audience.
“It is important to ensure that BMW and our Tier 1 suppliers include diverse businesses in the competitive bidding process,” said Oliver Haase, senior vice president of Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas. “The BMW Supplier Diversity Xchange is a great opportunity for each participant to meet many of BMW’s suppliers and showcase their abilities. Many of these businesses have been awarded national and global contracts with our suppliers.”
For the 2,300 attendees, networking at the Supplier Diversity Xchange is the day’s primary purpose. This is when women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses can meet BMW Tier 1 suppliers and discuss their skills. Media are invited to attend this networking event and interview participants from 1 to 5 p.m.
“This conference affords me so many incredible networking opportunities and resources,” said Donna Brin, founder and CEO of bFIVE40 in Little River, SC. “Each and every year I walk away with these golden nuggets, these opportunities I wouldn’t have had unless I went. It’s a wonderful platform for small business.”
“This is the one event that I block off on my calendar a year in advance,” said Darby Smith, director of business development for Roylco Industrial in Anderson, SC. “It’s so important for us because I can talk to between 70 and 100 perspective customers within a matter of hours. Normally, it would take me years to do that.”
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, X3 M, X5, X5 M and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles; the BMW X4, X4 M, X6 and X6 M Sports Activity Coupes; and the all-new BMW XM. 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; a manufacturing plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles and motorcycles in the U.S. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com
“In a highly competitive market, creating a workplace that values and respects diversity adds value throughout the organization, sparks innovation, and improves productivity,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “For more than a decade, our Supplier Diversity Xchange has been opening doors for minority-owned businesses across the country. Cultivating a more diverse and inclusive workplace brings the richness of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives necessary to grow a sustainable and innovative organization.”
This year’s event includes 240 exhibitors and more than 2,300 registered attendees. Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to attend breakout sessions on professional development topics and drive BMWs at the BMW Performance Center. Registration for this year’s event is closed.
This year’s special guest is Mervant Vera, a magician and musician from Philadelphia who finished as a top semi-finalist on America’s Got TalentTM and is a headline act for the AGT Superstars in Las Vegas. Mervant will share his message of diversity as he performs magic with Dr. Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network; Oliver Haase, senior vice president of Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas; and several members in the audience.
“It is important to ensure that BMW and our Tier 1 suppliers include diverse businesses in the competitive bidding process,” said Oliver Haase, senior vice president of Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas. “The BMW Supplier Diversity Xchange is a great opportunity for each participant to meet many of BMW’s suppliers and showcase their abilities. Many of these businesses have been awarded national and global contracts with our suppliers.”
For the 2,300 attendees, networking at the Supplier Diversity Xchange is the day’s primary purpose. This is when women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses can meet BMW Tier 1 suppliers and discuss their skills. Media are invited to attend this networking event and interview participants from 1 to 5 p.m.
“This conference affords me so many incredible networking opportunities and resources,” said Donna Brin, founder and CEO of bFIVE40 in Little River, SC. “Each and every year I walk away with these golden nuggets, these opportunities I wouldn’t have had unless I went. It’s a wonderful platform for small business.”
“This is the one event that I block off on my calendar a year in advance,” said Darby Smith, director of business development for Roylco Industrial in Anderson, SC. “It’s so important for us because I can talk to between 70 and 100 perspective customers within a matter of hours. Normally, it would take me years to do that.”
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, X3 M, X5, X5 M and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles; the BMW X4, X4 M, X6 and X6 M Sports Activity Coupes; and the all-new BMW XM. 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; a manufacturing plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles and motorcycles in the U.S. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com