Prime Minister David Cameron visited car maker Jaguar Land Rover at its site in Solihull on Friday to see its new handover centre where cars are checked before being exported.
Jaguar Land Rover recently invested £370m in its Solihull facility to support the production of the recently launched all-new Range Rover, with the Prime Minister touring the company’s new aluminium bodyshop, which produces the world’s single largest body panel.
Prime Minister David Cameron said that Jaguar Land Rover’s “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.”
Jaguar Land Rover has recruited over 8,000 people in the last two years to serve growth in China, India, Russia and Brazil.
Over 80% its business is exported, with Mr Cameron stating that “success in fast growing markets like China and India shows that UK manufacturing can compete and thrive on the global stage.”
The all new Range Rover, built at Solihull, is the world’s first SUV to feature an all-aluminium body structure, which reduced the weight of the car.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO at Jaguar Land Rover, explained that the company will continue to invest in the UK after adopting “new clean and energy-efficient technologies and innovations” at its Solihull plant.
“We use a process of riveting and bonding the structure which means that traditional energy intensive construction methods are eliminated,” he added.
