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Jaguar Land Rover to create 700 new jobs at i54 plant | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Jaguar Land Rover is to invest a further £150m to double the size of its unfinished engine plant in the West Midlands, creating 700 additional jobs. | |
The company plans to raise the eventual number of jobs at the facility at the i54 business park on the Staffordshire-Wolverhampton border to about 1,400. | |
The first engines are scheduled to come off the production line in 2015. | The first engines are scheduled to come off the production line in 2015. |
The company has also announced spending of £2.75bn on further product development. | |
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has its headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, said total investment at the i54 site would now be more than £500m. | |
'New resource' | |
Its initial plans set out in 2011 were for a £355m investment and 750 jobs. | |
Chief executive Ralf Speth said: "Jaguar Land Rover's new engine manufacturing centre in the UK is a clear demonstration of our business strategy guiding our investment plans. | |
"Not only does it bring our engine supply back to our production doorstep, but it gives us significant new resource as we continue to innovate with new products and markets." | |
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said the news was a "fantastic boost for manufacturing". | |
He said: "Having lobbied JLR and the last Labour government to set up a new engine plant in the West Midlands, we're delighted that this state-of-the-art facility is going to be expanded. | |
"This is a massive vote of confidence in the skills of the UK workforce. | |
"JLR's investment will generate quality jobs in the West Midlands and is a much-needed shot in the arm for Britain's struggling manufacturing sector." | |
'Excellent news' | |
Staffordshire County Council is investing £18.5m to build a dedicated road junction on the M54 for access to the plant, which will be matched by investment from Wolverhampton City Council. | |
A joint statement by the two councils and South Staffordshire Council said it was "excellent news" | |
It said: "We are delighted that Jaguar Land Rover is strengthening its commitment to the i54 South Staffordshire site before construction of the main facility has even been completed. | |
"Extending the plant will create hundreds of jobs in addition to the 750 that will be created when the advanced engine manufacturing facility is operational - not to mention the thousands more through the supply chain." | |
JLR added that the investment of £2.75bn in product development would "support the launch of eight new or refreshed models during 2013". | JLR added that the investment of £2.75bn in product development would "support the launch of eight new or refreshed models during 2013". |