Spartanburg, S.C.  Dr. Robert Engelhorn is now the new president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. In a private handover ceremony at the BMW Zentrum on Wednesday, Engelhorn took over the plant leadership from Knudt Flor, who has retired from the company.

“Plant Spartanburg has been a critical part of BMW’s global production network for decades, and the plant’s impact is far reaching,” said Engelhorn. “Their performance – both in quality and production – is impressive, and I am excited to lead this extraordinary team.”

Engelhorn joined the BMW Group in 2011 and occupied various positions at the Munich and Regensburg plants in Germany. In 2016, he moved to the BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture in China, where he led the Technology and Production division for the Dadong and Tiexi plants. In 2018, Engelhorn took over as director for BMW Group Plant Munich, where he prepared the plant for production of the all-electric BMW i4.

“Robert is the perfect match for Plant Spartanburg. He combines great international experience and broad technical expertise, especially for the manufacturing of electrified cars,” said Dr. Milan Nedeljkovic, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production. “I’m sure he will successfully steer this plant into its great future.”

Engelhorn succeeds Knudt Flor, who is retiring after 33 years at the BMW Group and nearly five years as president and CEO at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg. He is the second-longest serving president of the Spartanburg plant. 

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, producing about 1,500 vehicles each day. The South Carolina factory exports more than two-thirds of its models to 125 global markets. For seven consecutive years, it has been the largest exporter by value in the United States. The model portfolio includes five top-selling BMW X models, four Motorsport X models, and two plug-in hybrid electric X models. The factory has a production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles and employs more than 11,000 people.