Rolls-Royce is to employ an extra 150 automotive production staff at its Goodwood plant to work on its upcoming new Ghost model.
The extra staff will be mostly deployed to the West Sussex plant’s assembly line but some will work in Rolls’ leather and wood finishing departments.
“This is good news for the British car industry at a time when it is struggling,” said Rolls-Royce chief Tom Purves.
BMW-owned Rolls said by the end of 2009 it will have increased its workforce at Goodwood by 400 new staff in the last two years, bringing the total to 900 and almost double.
Business secretary Lord Mandelson praised Rolls’ expansion. “I am delighted that Rolls-Royce, an iconic British company, is providing new, highly skilled manufacturing jobs despite the economic downturn,” he said.
“Britain has an exceptional talent for automotive production,” added Purves, saying he can employ from “the considerable pool of highly skilled automotive industry personnel available in the UK”.
The new staff will be employed in time for when production starts on the Ghost this autumn. The new model is due to go on sale early next year.
