BMW Associates dedicate Habitat home during 100th anniversary
June 20, 2016
BMW Group has called Greer home since the first car rolled off the assembly line in 1994. On Monday, June 20, BMW Associates welcomed another family home to Greer with the dedication of the Habitat home the organization has built for the Lee family. The home was constructed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County and Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg.
BMW Group chose to sponsor a Habitat home as a way to give back to the community during their 100th Anniversary year. BMW Manufacturing committed $70,000 to fully sponsor the home’s construction, and Associates from the Spartanburg plant volunteered on the build during the three-month project. Greer was selected as the site for the home since it spans the borders of Greenville and Spartanburg counties.
The dedication marks an important milestone in homeownership for Catherine Lee and her family. As a Habitat program participant, Lee has completed 200 hours of sweat equity and 25 hours of homeownership preparation classes. During the dedication, Lee was presented with the keys to her new home, tools and supplies necessary for maintaining the home, and quilts for each member of the family, handmade by Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild.
“We are very proud to dedicate the BMW 100-Year Anniversary home for Catherine Lee and her family,” said Manfred Erlacher, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing Co. “It is an honor to be part of making this dream come true, and we hope the Lee family enjoys this home for many years, making wonderful memories and creating new traditions. ”
The dedication marks several firsts for the organizations involved. This is the first Habitat home that BMW has sponsored, and this build is the first on which Habitat affiliates from Greenville and Spartanburg have partnered. Leaders of both Habitat affiliates expressed gratitude to BMW for their vision of providing affordable housing for qualifying partner families.
“Habitat Greenville is grateful for the vision of BMW that has brought about this unique project, that will transform the future for the Lee family,” stated Monroe Free, President and CEO of Habitat Greenville. “We are excited to be partnering with BMW and working in collaboration with Habitat Spartanburg to help the Lee family build strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership.”
“It has been a joy to work with BMW Manufacturing associates in collaboration with Habitat Greenville to construct the BMW Habitat Home in Greer,” said Lee Close, Executive Director of Habitat Spartanburg. “With the sponsorship of BMW Manufacturing and the skill and energetic dedication of the BMW volunteers, Catherine Lee and her family will now have a new, safe, and energy efficient home to call their own. I can think of no better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of BMW than to reach out into the community to make a positive difference in the community that BMW calls home in North America.”
About BMW Manufacturing Co.
BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany and is the global producer of the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X4 and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW Group North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.
About Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg
Since 1987, Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg has provided safe, affordable housing for 115 deserving partner families. Most recently, Habitat Spartanburg collaborated with the City of Spartanburg’s Northside Development Group to build three, ENERGY STAR 3.0 homes on the city’s Northside, a former mill village in the midst of neighborhood revitalization. Habitat Spartanburg offers financial counseling, home maintenance classes and the Healthy Homes Program, a nationally recognized initiative developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More information is available at www.habitatspartanburg.org.
About Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Through affordable home construction, Habitat for Humanity of Greenville strives to eliminate poverty housing and the social and economic problems it causes. Habitat Greenville received the Greenville Chamber’s Neighborhood Improvement Award in 2015, and was recognized with the 2015 Nonprofit Excellence Award, given by the SC Association of Nonprofit Organizations (SCANPO). Habitat Greenville, chartered in 1985, celebrated its 30th anniversary and construction of its 330th home in 2015. Learn more at www.habitatgreenville.org.
