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New car to roll out of Sunderland

Japanese automotive firm Nissan is to build a new model of car at its Sunderland plant, securing jobs at the site which employs 4,700 people. The car, an addition to the Nissan range, will use the free plant capacity created when production of the current version of the Micra ends in 2010.

The firm announced the £55m investment, £6.2m of which is coming from the UK government, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited its London design centre.

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan chief executive, said: “By delivering on tough commitments, our employees at Sunderland have demonstrated our plant can be a globally competitive centre for the production of high-value products. We are encouraged by the proactive support shown by the British government to decide new products for the Sunderland plant.”

The announcement was met with praise for Nissan’s role in the North East economy. The Prime Minister called the Sunderland workforce “innovative, talented and highly committed,” sentiments echoed by regional business groups.

James Ramsbotham, North East Chamber of Commerece chief executive, said: “This is excellent news for manufacturing in the North East and Nissan’s success is testament to the skill, flexibility and versatility of its workforce and the wider supply chain. “The fact that Nissan has retained such a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive industry demonstrates that manufacturing in Britain can be cost-effective while delivering a quality product that is superior to cheaper alternatives manufactured abroad.”

Sarah Green, Regional Director, CBI North East, said “Congratulations to Nissan, its dedicated management and excellent workforce, for demonstrating that quality manufacturing can prosper in the North East of England. This announcement both secures the direct jobs at Nissan but also gives the significant automotive supply chain in the North East the confidence to invest for the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .