Solihull: Today, Jaguar Land Rover has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron to its Solihull site. The Prime Minister was given a brief tour of Jaguar Land Rover’s new customer handover centre where senior engineers showed him the first all-new Range Rover that will be exported to India.
Jaguar Land Rover has recently invested £370 million in its Solihull facility to support the production of the recently launched all-new Range Rover. The Prime Minister saw the results of this investment first hand when he visited the company’s brand new state-of-the-art aluminium bodyshop, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
During the tour, the Prime Minister met several apprentices and employees who are involved in the production of the all-new Range Rover. He was also given an insight into the Jaguar Land Rover’s business from the company’s CEO Dr Ralf Speth and his senior executive team.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Jaguar Land Rover’s continued success, and rising exports, demonstrates the strength of the automotive sector in the UK, and the crucial role this industry plays in growing and rebalancing the economy.
“Their success, particularly in fast growing markets like China and India, shows that UK manufacturing can compete and thrive on the global stage, and is testament to the excellent and highly skilled work force they have here in Solihull.
“This Government is backing business; dealing with the deficit, cutting taxes and investing in exports, enterprise and growth, to ensure the UK is equipped to get on and win in this global race.”
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO, said, “The all new Range Rover, built at Solihull, symbolises our commitment to investing in Britain and exporting around the world. It is the world’s first SUV to feature an advanced all-aluminium body structure, delivering significantly reduced weight, improved performance and enhanced sustainability.”
“We are proud to show Prime Minister David Cameron the new clean and energy-efficient technologies and innovations at our Solihull manufacturing plant. As part of our significant investment, we have installed a state-of-the-art aluminium body shop, which produces the world’s single largest body panel. We use a process of riveting and bonding the structure which means that traditional energy intensive construction methods are eliminated.”
Gabrielle Tyler, one of the manufacturing apprentices said, “It was an honour to meet the Prime Minister today. He was really interested in the Jaguar Land Rover apprenticeship scheme and the opportunities it has given me.”
Production started at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant in 1948. The site covers 300 acres and employs in the region of 6,000 people. It is currently home to the all-new Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Defender and Discovery.
