Automotive manufacturer launches Chinese joint venture
Automotive supplier Expert Tooling & Automation has launched a Chinese joint venture to take advantage of opportunities in the country’s electric vehicle (EV) sector.
The Coventry-headquartered manufacturer has created Expert Automation Technology in partnership with Chinese firm Star Eagle Global. Together they are investing £5m in a new 200,000 sq ft plant in Hefei, eastern China, which will employ around 200 people by the end of next year.
China is the largest EV market in the world and is forecast to sell more than 1m units for the first time this year.
Expert’s founder and managing director Angelo Luciano said: “This is the culmination of in excess of 12 months of negotiations and between the companies and regional government in China.
“It will allow the company to capitalise on the largest and fastest growing automotive market in the world with our knowledge and experience, all of which will be in high demand in the ever increasing EV sector in China.”
Expert has recently confirmed a £10m investment in new headquarters at Lyons Park in Coventry.
The business is a major manufacturer of industrial automation and tooling systems and works for many of the leading automotive OEMs including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Aston Martin and McLaren.
The Chinese venture is designed to use its expertise in aluminium and composite vehicle assembly, battery pack assembly, power train and final assembly in the rapidly growing electric vehicle sector in China.
Luciano said: “Expert has over the years had to compete with global organisations who can access low cost markets for design and manufacture, additional resource and utilise advantageous exchange rates to increase their competitiveness and meet customer demands in order to have a global presence.
“This move means that Expert will have access to all of these benefits and also be capable of meeting customers’ requirements in association with a global support network to maintain their future investment plans.”
