- Halewood workforce celebrates first production Land Rover Discovery Sport to roll off the production line.
- New car has secured £3.5bn in new UK supply contracts.
- First car will support Virgin Galactic as it nears it first commercial space flight.
Halewood, Merseyside, 17th October 2014. Two weeks after making its motor show debut, the first Land Rover Discovery Sport has rolled off the Halewood production line, marking another significant milestone in Jaguar Land Rover's product offensive which will see the company deliver 50 significant product actions over the next five years.
The new Discovery Sport, the world's most versatile and capable premium compact SUV is the first member of the new Discovery family. Discovery Sport features 5+2 seating in a footprint no larger than existing 5‑seat premium SUVs and will go on sale in 170 markets in early 2015.
The latest model in the Land Rover line‑up has created 250 new manufacturing jobs following a £200mn investment in the Halewood plant. The impact of Discovery Sport has also been positively felt within the UK supply chain where £3.5bn in contracts have been awarded to 55 suppliers.
Many of the companies supplying components to Jaguar Land Rover have made long‑term investments in their production facilities, safeguarding and creating over 1,000 jobs in the UK supply chain.
Ian Harnett, Jaguar Land Rover's Purchasing Director said: "A strong, competitive supply chain, meeting our rigorous cost and delivery metrics, is fundamental to the sustainable growth of our business. With many more new products in the pipeline, gearing up to supply Jaguar Land Rover is a solid business proposition."
The Halewood plant, which is already home to the company's fastest selling model of all time ‑ the Range Rover Evoque, has seen investment in the site more than double and workforce treble over the last four years with 4,750 people now employed at the site.
Many of those employees today joined local dignitaries to witness the first car to roll off the production line. The Kaikoura Stone HSE Luxury spec vehicle was officially handed over to Stephen Attenborough, Commercial Director, Virgin Galactic, to support Land Rover's long‑term global partnership with Richard Branson's pioneering commercial spaceline. Demonstrating a shared vision of pioneering spirit, technological innovation and sense of adventure, the partnership will see this vehicle become part of daily life for the Virgin Galactic team at its Operations base.
Richard Else, Jaguar Land Rover Halewood Operations Director said: "Today marks another incredibly proud moment for the Halewood plant, its workforce and the region as a whole.
"The decision to build the Land Rover Discovery Sport here at Halewood is a testament to our tremendous team who are committed to delivering outstanding customer quality as demonstrated by the award winning Range Rover Evoque. Investment in the plant since 2011 now stands at £500mn and has most recently been demonstrated with the installation of a £45mn state‑of‑the‑art Aida servo press line which provided the backdrop to today's event."
Ends
Notes to editors:
Jaguar Land Rover:
- Jaguar Land Rover has ambitious plans for sustainable growth and profitability.
- The company was named Responsible Business of the Year 2013, by Business in the Community (BITC).
- During 2013 calendar year, Jaguar Land Rover sold 425,006 vehicles, up 19%. Of that, Jaguar sold 76,668 vehicles and Land Rover sold 348,338 vehicles. In the first quarter of 2014, Jaguar Land Rover sold 124,776 vehicles, up 8%.
- Jaguar Land Rover will invest circa £3.5bn in product creation and capital expenditure, in the financial year to March 2015.
- Jaguar Land Rover is one of the UK's largest exporters and generates in the region of 80% of its revenue from exports. The company has a worldwide network of 2,520 dealers, spanning more than 170 countries.
- In the 12 months to 31 March 2014, Jaguar Land Rover generated profit before tax of £2.5bn with revenues of £19.4bn.
For more information, please visit www.newsroom.jaguarlandrover.com or contact:
Nicola Rzeznik, UK Manufacturing Communications Manager
M: + 44 (0) 7736 912266 E: nrzeznik@jaguarlandrover.com
Neil Roscoe, Communications Officer
M: +44 (0) 7500 814114 E: nroscoe@jaguarlandrover.com
