Despite BMW’s ubiquity in the U.S. marketplace, the manufacturer has only really been selling cars Stateside for fifty years. That’s not a lot — especially compared to domestic brands like Ford. An integral part of any operation is its home base. In this case, we’re talking about BMW’s North America headquarters, which has gone through several different iterations since the 1970s. Five decades of progress — and sales — meant that the organization would regularly outgrow its old digs.
The Early Years: Montvale and a Move
BMW of North America was founded in 1975, using the former Hoffman Motors Corporation building in Montvale, NJ. The building was designed with around 13,000 annual imports in mind. That may have been fine early on, but it quickly became clear that BMW of North America was going to be big. As in, way bigger than the building could accommodate. By the mid-1980s, BMW NA was moving 100,000 cars per year and had 370 employees on the payroll. Expansion was necessary, and a move was imminent.
In 1986, then CEO Dr. Günther Kramer commissioned a new, 205,000 square-foot facility. The new, modern facility would move the base of operations to Woodcliff Lake, NJ — only a few miles south of Montvale. Now located at 300 Chestnut Ridge Rd, BMW of North America now had the space to integrate Motorrad staff, which formerly worked out of a building in Norwood, NJ, into the new layout while offering ample space for the several hundred employees. The Montvale building continued to house the Eastern Region staff, and Kramer bought 40 additional acres of surrounding land to ensure plenty of room for growth. Talk about thinking ahead.
BMW of North America Outgrows a Second HQ
While the brand thrived at the new facility, it too would prove too small. By the early 2000s, BMW of North America’s sales had risen to nearly 300,000 cars per year. Staff numbers, naturally, rose accordingly. The new CEO, Tom Purves, acquired an additional 45 acres that included the former Ingersoll-Rand headquarters at 200 Chestnut Ridge Rd. The stage was set for a major expansion, and that’s exactly what Purves did. BMW of North America added 220,000 square feet of new facilities on the land, with the Ingersoll-Rand building housing Motorrad and the old Hoffman building in Montvale exiting the picture entirely.
The “South Campus,” as it became designated took three years to come to fruition. While Motorrad and the Eastern Region staff enjoyed new digs, they were far from the only ones. Much of the new space comprised engineering workshops and vehicle storage facilities. The South Campus addition meant that BMW of North America had room for up to 1,000 employees. That’s nearly triple what the original Montvale facility could hold!
Of course, there was still more work to do. The 300 Chestnut Ridge building needed interior updates that brought the HQ into the 21st century. BMW of North America brought in an architect to upfit the building as an open-plan workspace. As COVID appeared and BMW of North America abandoned a strict work-from-office approach, it also came to light that the 300 Chestnut Ridge building needed significant structural repairs. With less employees in the office than ever, it was time for yet another changeup for BMW HQ.
Goodbye to 300 Chestnut Ridge
December 13th, 2024, marked the last day of the 300 Chestnut Ridge building’s service in BMW of North America’s stewardship. The building and land were sold to a developer. Meanwhile, BMW built up the old Ingersoll-Rand building — now dubbed 200 BMW Drive. “With the new BMW North America headquarters, we foster cohesion, innovation power, and ultimately growth and success,” says BMW AG boardmember for People and Places Ilka Horstmeier. “It’s not just about where we work, but more importantly, how we work. It’s about adopting more agile ways of working, using digital tools and methods, and thereby driving our performance.”
As further proof that BMW of North America is newly committed to hybrid work and the flexibility it offers, the automaker is also offloading some of the land purchased adjacent to the old headquarters. Parting with 21 acres is only logical now that hybrid work has become the norm. BMW of North America’s latest HQ changeup marks the first time the company has “downsized” its HQ — but it’s probably not the last switch we’ll see. Who knows what BMW NA’s next iteration will take?
Source: BMW USA
