Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), a completely owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, is planning to spend £ 1 billion along with its UK suppliers. This amount will be infused over the course of the next four years in order to meet the consistent demand for the Range Rover Evoque. This sum will be in addition to the £ 2 billion worth of supply contracts granted to over 40 suppliers in Britain during March 2011
JLR increased the total investments by £ 1 billion as a steady flow of orders for its cars continue to pour in; the company sells 60,000 units across the globe. The components, facilities and services to supplement the production of Range Rover Evoque at Halewood on Merseyside are provided by the car maker's vendor network, which consists of more than 40 suppliers. September 2011 saw the launch of Range Rover Evoque which has already won more than 100 international awards. 60,111 units of Range Rover Evoque have already been sold by the manufacturer by the end of April 2012.
The company also declared that in order to support the worldwide success of the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Freelander 2, it will open a new storage facility in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. This unit will cover an area of 37,000 sq. m. and open in the summer of 2012. The existing logistics service provider to the company, DHL will be responsible for managing the new automotive storage site. This new facility, which in turn will create around 300 new jobs, will be added in order to bolster the car maker's current operations at Halewood plant. DHL will soon declare the details regarding how people can apply for new jobs.
"Today's announcements demonstrate JLR's clear ambition for continued growth. The demand we have seen across the globe for the Range Rover Evoque means we are able to significantly increase what we spend with our suppliers, which is great news for the UK economy, and the thousands of jobs JLR supports in its supply chain. Our commitment to the North West will also be enhanced with the new logistics facility and this will support the future success of both our Freelander 2 and Range Rover Evoque models," stated Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jaguar Land Rover, Dr. Ralf Speth.
Managing Director (MD), Automotive Services, DHL, Paul Dyer, quipped, “We are delighted to continue our support for JLR’s ever-growing expansion plans. As the UK’s North West region is fast becoming a major supply chain hub for the automotive industry, this new facility will greatly enhance the next stage of the company's development and future success."
JLR declared 1000 new jobs at its Halewood unit in March 2012, where Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Freelander 2 will be assembled. These new jobs will enhance the employee strength at the Halewood plant to approx 4,500, which is triple the workforce employed at the facility three years ago, as the plant starts round-the-clock production and a three shift work schedule.
