Midrand – Mr Oliver Zipse, Chairman of BMW Group South Africa and Member of the Management Board of BMW AG responsible for Production, officially presented the prestigious JD Power trophy to Mr Stefan Huelsenberg, Director of BMW Plant Rosslyn, in Pretoria. Zipse is on a special visit to South Africa since his appointment in May 2015.
During his address to staff at BMW Plant Rosslyn yesterday, Zipse said; “Your hard work and dedication have made Plant Rosslyn the best plant in the world in the Initial Quality Study 2015. This is the very first time a BMW plant anywhere in the world has won a platinum award in the IQS Study. Congratulations on this award! You have shown that you are serious about your “passion for perfection.” Plant Rosslyn is an important part of our international production network. We want the success story of BMW Group South Africa to continue. We are here to stay.”
In June this year, BMW South Africa’s Rosslyn Plant was awarded the Platinum Plant Quality Award in the J.D. Power 2015 Initial Quality Study (IQS) for producing BMW 3 Series models with the fewest defects or malfunctions. Plant Rosslyn last received this award in 2002 with an IQS score of 85 pp100 (problems per 100 vehicles surveyed).
The IQS is based on responses from more than 84,000 purchasers of new 2015 model vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was conducted between February and May 2015.
Plant Rosslyn is an iconic production facility within the BMW Group. Situated north of Pretoria, Rosslyn is the first foreign plant and was established in 1973, representing a cornerstone of the BMW Group’s global production network of 30 sites in 14 countries. The plant currently produces the BMW 3 Series Sedan for local and export markets around the world. In 2014, BMW 3 Series Sedan exports from Plant Rosslyn increased by over 17% to 68,771. This mass export secured BMW South Africa’s position as the country’s leading exporter of premium vehicles. In February this year, Rosslyn reached another milestone producing its one millionth vehicle.