From our rustic beginnings as a frontier trading post filled with Scotch-Irish, German and Indian traders of the mid-1700s to the international business community of the 1990s, Spartanburg County has consistently shown that there truly is no such thing as a stranger. Spartanburg County is South Carolina's "Melting Pot," blending Southern culture with dashes and dollops of German, Swiss, Japanese, Indian, Asian, British and a myriad of other influences to create a dish spiced with life. Spartanburg has taken its position as a magnet for economic progress and as a population center filled with cultural and international diversity. Spartanburg's cordial atmosphere is second to none, and it enriches the fine quality of life here -- a quality of life that other cities only wish they could offer. This community's economic history is rooted in agriculture and textiles, and boasts an exemplary lifestyle and strong work ethic inspired by those vocations. Today, more than 100 international firms, representing 20 nations, have joined the business community and added their own special flavor to Spartanburg's mix. The most well-known example, perhaps, is BMW Manufacturing Corporation, which began production at its first North American assembly plant in Spartanburg in September 1994 and now is the sole producer of the Z4 and the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle for worldwide distribution.