Jaguar Land Rover inaugurated its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia, a first-ever by any UK automaker in this country. The $1.6 billion production plant is expected to hit annual production of 100,000 cars by 2020, and has been built with an installed capacity of 150,000 units. The new plant aims to support JLR's global expansion strategy that includes facilities in China, which was launched in 2014 in a joint venture, along with plants in Brazil (2016) and Austria (2017). The company has been contract manufacturing its vehicles in India since 2011.
The new facility in Slovakia also comes amidst Britain's impending exit from the European Union, while the new plant will help protect against currency fluctuations. JLR has commenced production of the Land Rover Discovery SUV at the new facility, while the plant is capable of accommodating a second model. That said, the second model is yet to be confirmed by the company that will shift production here.
Speaking at the inauguration, Jaguar Land Rover - CEO, Prof. Dr Ralf Speth said, "Global businesses require global operational footprints. While Jaguar Land Rover's heart and soul remain firmly anchored in the UK, expanding internationally only enriches and strengthens our UK business. Today's opening of our next generation manufacturing plant in Nitra, Slovakia represents the start of a new era in manufacturing for Jaguar Land Rover. It is the latest milestone in our long-term globalisation programme and the culmination of four years planning. As with our existing manufacturing facilities located in the UK, China, Brazil, India and Austria, this high-tech plant in Slovakia will complement and support our corporate, R&D and engineering functions headquartered in the UK."
The Slovakia-based facility employs around 1500 personnel with 98 per cent being Slovak nationals and 30 per cent women. The second phase of recruitment will begin in November this year with an additional 850 people to join the factory. The manufacturing employees will undergo a bespoke 12-week training programme in the company's first overseas training academy that represents an investment of $8.5 million.
Professor Dr Speth continued: "Our diverse workforce brings a wealth of experience from both automotive and broader industries. I am delighted to officially welcome our Slovak team to the Jaguar Land Rover global family today."
The new 300 000 square metre facility is the first in Europe to use Kuka's Pulse carrier system which is 30 per cent faster transfer times than conventional conveyance systems. It will also feature a highly automated paint shop process to ensure the highest quality and minimise the environmental impact. The factory has been designed with the flexibility to enable smart, connected manufacturing technologies, including shop floor visualisation by using real time data to solve issues improving the efficiency of operations.
A number of suppliers are already present in Slovakia, according to the company and JLR will be sourcing seats and wheels amidst a host of other components for the production of the Land Rover Discovery.
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