Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth today joined the Prime Minister, David Cameron to commemorate the official opening of Jaguar Land Rover's Technical Academy in Beijing, China. The ceremony took place during a UK trade delegation visit to the country.
Dr. Speth joined the Prime Minister and the delegation of ministers and business leaders on the four day visit as a leading representative of the UK's resurgent automotive industry. He said: "China is the world's largest automotive market and a key territory for Jaguar Land Rover. Our Chinese National Sales Company (NSC) was established in 2010 and since that time we have seen the expansion of our dealer network to support a series of exciting new products
"It is therefore vital that we invest in the skills and training necessary to support our two great premium brands and provide our discerning Chinese customers with unrivalled quality and customer experiences."
The Training Academy in Beijing is the second such facility to open in China and will shortly be complemented by a new Academy in Guangzhou. Collectively these centres will see more than 10,500 technicians, sales consultants and service representatives trained to deliver world class levels of customer service across its 223 authorised dealers in more than 90 cities.
Jaguar Land Rover has seen demand for its two British brands in China grow since their introduction to the market in 2003 (Land Rover) and 2004 (Jaguar). During the visit the company will further signify its commitment to China with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to supply vehicles to its NSC for the next year. This agreement is a demonstration of the strong Sino‑UK trade relationship forged by Jaguar Land Rover, which supports some 40,000 jobs in the UK.
To further support its Chinese consumer base, Jaguar Land Rover has established a joint venture company with Chery Automobile Company Ltd representing an investment of RMB 10.9bn (circa £1bn). The JV, which will be operational in 2014, is based at Changshu, in the Jiangshu Province and will harness the expertise of the respective companies to produce bespoke vehicles tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
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Notes to editors:
Jaguar Land Rover China
Timeline:
2003 Land Rover entered the Chinese market
2004 Jaguar entered the Chinese market
Jun 2006 First Land Rover Experience Centre in Beijing opened
May 2009 Two Parts Distribution Centres opened (in Suzhou)
May 2010 Parts Distribution Centre opened in Beijing
Jul 2010 Training Academy opened in Shanghai
Jul 2010 Jaguar Land Rover China National Sales Company (NSC) established
Oct 2010 Second Land Rover Experience Centre opened (in Guangzhou)
Mar 2011 Parts Distribution Centre opened in Guangzhou
Apr 2011 Beijing Regional Office opened
Apr 2011 Beijing Training Academy opened
Apr 2012 Chongqing Parts Distribution Centre opened
Nov 2012 Third Land Rover Experience Centre opened (in Huzhou)
Nov 2012 Joint Venture Foundation Laying Ceremony
June 2013 Guangzhou Regional Office opened
For more information, please visit www.newsroom.jaguarlandrover.com or contact:
Ken McConomy, Head of Corporate Relations
M: +44 7714 725 236
E: kmcconom@jaguarlandrover.com
Nicola Rzeznik, Senior Communications Officer
M: + 44 (0) 7736
912266 E: nrzeznik@jaguarlandrover.com