BMW Manufacturing Corp., Spartanburg, SC

BMW Chooses PortaFab, the BMW of Modular Buildings

2,555 sq. ft. spare parts storage and distribution building

SteelSeries with fire and sound control

The Situation
Tony Brannon, at BMW Manufacturing Corp. in Spartanburg County, has an enormous inventory control responsibility on his hands. His department stocks more that 11,000 items, ranging from production consumables in the auto-assembly area, to various office supplies, he must organize and secure the storage of everything from 500hp motors to sandpaper to staples. Keeping up with the plant's demands for spare parts is no small task; and this task effects downtime. Plant productivity is crucial because BMWs cannot be shipped to dealers quickly enough.

In response to worldwide demand, the Spartanburg plant has increased production of its popular Z3 Roadster, producing an average of 255 a day, Brannon needed an in-plant building that could be expanded and moved easily within the plant. PortaFab modular buildings took care of that need, where conventional construction would not.

The Evaluation
The 41-foot modular building BMW purchased was designed with the ability to incorporate change. The plans are on the drawing board again to double its length. Every panel is numbered to facilitate fast relocation. "By taking advantage of the non-progressive features inherent in the PortaFab design," says Brannon, "we can take the building apart piece by piece and reassemble it 500 feet across that plant floor without incurring additional costs for a contract installation crew. Most importantly, without any production downtime in the plant, since it can be accomplished over a weekend."

Tighter design requirements for the storage and distribution area evolved as the plans progressed. What began as a free-standing wall structure with no roof became a one-story OmniFlex building. When BMW realized they needed to reduce the noise from the adjacent manufacturing area and protect their huge part-inventory, they chose PortaFab's SteelSeries system to provide them with fire protection and sound control.

SteelSeries standard construction features steel frames and doors. The 3"-thick panels of 24-gauge steel are bonded with half-inch gypsum board, laminated to both sides of a 2" polystyrene core. Covered with polyester, baked enamel white finish, the building is as attractive as it is solid. And it provides the needed fire protection and sound control for BMW's facility.

Since the design change would not work with the existing lighting system within the plant, PortaFab designed an alternative lighting solution. Once PortaFab assisted Brannon in finalizing his departmental needs, the engineering drawings - including provisions for electrical wiring and building construction - were left up to the technical expertise of PortaFab.

The Solution
The final product is a totally enclosed, secure, modular in-plant building that is open enough for 12 employees to work inside and interact with customers over an eight-foot long counter. The structure is self-sufficient with its own lighting system, and windows provide visibility into the plant. Inset by four feet from the exterior wall panels, the service window keeps traffic to a minimum within the building and in the aisles. Because the building has a lockable, roll-down door, inventory is secure when the plant is closed.

Working with PortaFab enables BMW to meets its needs: building a secure area that could house thousands of parts and provide a pleasant working environment. "It serves double-duty as both an office and a store," says Brannon, "that fact that it can be expanded to continue to meet our growth needs at BMW - is a plus. If you've got the foresight to plan for the future, with PortaFab, changes can be built into the design today to last for tomorrow."