BMW Brilliance: A decade of milestones

BMW Brilliance Auto is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year following a decade of remarkable achievements in localization and contributions to social causes.

Established in 2003 in Shenyang, the capital city and industrial hub of Liaoning province, BMW Group's joint venture now builds the long-wheelbase BMW 5 Series, the 3 Series and the X1 compact SUV. It delivered more than 140,000 vehicles in 2012.

The long-wheelbase 5 Series tailor-made for local customers set a benchmark in localization when it rolled off the assembly line in 2006.

Its sales reached 107,844 units last year, the first BMW model to surpass the 100,000-unit threshold in the country.

When local production of the BMW X1 began in March 2012, the model immediately became one of the carmaker's top three models following the 5 Series and 3 Series.

Production of the sixth-generation 3 Series began in July last year at the joint venture's new Tiexi plant, which makes both standard and the extended wheelbase versions of the model.

The new Tiexi facility is among the most advanced of all BMW plants worldwide. Its annual production capacity is expected to reach 200,000 units by the end of the year.

Combined with the existing 100,000-unit plant in Shenyang's Dadong district, the facility now brings BMW Brilliance's total annual capacity to 300,000 vehicles.

A new engine plant under construction next to the Tiexi plant will raise the company's annual engine production capacity to 400,000 units over the next few years, the company said last August.

Earlier this month, the joint venture unveiled a new brand Zinoro for new-energy vehicles, the latest step of BMW's consistent strategy in localization. The first product will be an all-electric car and debut later this year.

BMW Brilliance has been among the top 10 taxpayers in Shenyang for seven years in a row.

Its contributions to the community also include a number of corporate social responsibility initiatives for environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation and child development in partnership with BMW China.

One of the initiatives is the annual BMW China Culture Journey that began in 2007 in which the two partners have donated more than 6 million yuan to protect 58 intangible cultural heritage items.

The BMW Warm Heart Fund started in 2008 with an initial investment of 10 million yuan from BMW Brilliance and BMW China has provided needed assistance to many children in Hope primary schools across the country.