BMW is building vehicle distribution center in Texas to serve the South

BMW AG said it is building a vehicle distribution center in Texas to serve the Southern U.S.

The facility at the Port of Galveston will serve the 45 BMW and Mini dealers in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The German automaker said it broke ground Tuesday, but a company statement did not indicate how much the project would cost.

“The new Port of Galveston vehicle distribution center will enable us to receive, prepare and deliver vehicles to the Southern region even more quickly than before,” said Craig Westbrook, vice president of aftersales for BMW of North America.

The facility will be owned and operated by WWL Vehicle Services Americas under BMW Group on-site management.

Once fully operational in 2016, the facility will import and process 32,500 vehicles annually with a work force of 40 BMW and WWL employees, the company said.

The facility will include 44,000 square feet of space in two buildings for vehicle inspection, mechanical and paint and body repairs, accessory installation, vehicle programming and vehicle maintenance and storage.