Jaguar Land Rover agrees £1bn Slovakian factory
VEHICLE manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that it will be the first British carmaker to open a £1bn manufacturing facility in Slovakia.
The announcement follows an agreement between the company and the Government of the Slovak Republic to build a new plant in the city of Nitra, western Slovakia.
The new manufacturing facility will eventually employ around 2,800 people.
Today’s announcement follows JLR’s recent confirmation that it is to double the size of its Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.
The i54 investment is the largest injection into a new British manufacturing plant in decades and will create several hundred new jobs.
Dr Ralf Speth, JLR CEO, said: “Jaguar Land Rover is delighted today to welcome Slovakia into our family. The new factory will complement our existing facilities in the UK, China, India and Brazil and marks the next step in the company’s strategy to become a truly global business.
“Slovakia has an established premium automotive sector, which represents 43% of the country’s overall industry. It has more than 300 suppliers in close proximity and an excellent logistics infrastructure; this confirmed our decision that this country was the ideal location.
“The heart of our company will always be in the UK, where our design, technology and manufacturing capabilities are based. It is our creativity and innovation which makes Jaguar Land Rover the leading boutique automotive brand, offering exceptional products for our customers.”
As part of JLR’s commitment to deliver more lightweight vehicles, the plant will manufacture a range of all-new aluminium Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. It is anticipated that the first cars will come off the production line in late 2018. The factory will have an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles and construction will commence next year.
Today’s announcement follows the signing of an agreement by Dr Speth and Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, in Bratislava.
Mr Fico said: “We are glad that Jaguar Land Rover has chosen Slovakia for its new world-class manufacturing facility. This decision shows that, with a stable and solid business environment, Slovakia is an attractive place for investors. And the marriage of Slovak craftsmanship and British engineering holds great promise.”
