On The Move
S.C. Chamber Of Commerce Names BMW President Josef Kerscher Business Leader Of The Year
Sep 5, 2012
COLUMBIA, SC - September 4, 2012 - The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the state’s unified voice of business, is pleased to announce that its 2012 Business Leader of the Year is Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing. Kerscher will be honored at the 33rd Annual Summit, The Stars of Business, November 8 at Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms.
Kerscher joined BMW in 1979 where he worked in various positions at the plant in Landshut, Germany. In 1996, he became Vice President of Final Assembly at the BMW Manufacturing facility in Munich, Germany. He then served as Munich Plant Manager from 2004-2006. Since 2007, he has served as President of BMW Manufacturing Co., located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. BMW Manufacturing Co. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich and is the global producer of the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupe.
Kerscher chairs and has revitalized the South Carolina Chamber Manufacturers’ Steering Committee, leading the effort to host the first statewide Manufacturing Conference, which is now in its third year. The influential steering committee pursues strategies and promotes the tools that allow South Carolina manufacturers to compete at the highest levels locally, regionally and internationally.
Otis Rawl, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, said, “There is no doubt about BMW’s enormous economic impact on South Carolina. Josef Kerscher has also greatly impacted the Palmetto State, working to make South Carolina more competitive for manufacturing and all businesses. South Carolina is fortunate to have a business leader like Josef.”
The Chamber’s Business Leader of the Year is chosen based on leadership in South Carolina and the embodiment of personal success. Other criteria include a business record based on ethical conduct and corporate responsibility, public service, contributions to the preservation of South Carolina’s government and commitment to creating a positive business climate to improve the state’s economy.
The Chamber’s Annual Summit, The Stars of Business, will bring together more than 250 of the state’s most powerful business leaders to discuss future goals to increase South Carolina’s global competitiveness. Annual Summit sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information about sponsoring or attending this year’s festivities, please visit www.scchamber.net, or call Tish Anderson at 800-799-4601.
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s first state chamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber, is South Carolina’s largest statewide broad-based business and industry trade association representing more than 18,000 businesses and more than one million employees, with 90 percent of membership comprised of small businesses. As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber is a catalyst for increasing wealth and enhancing the state’s global competitiveness in order to improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians.
