Member Article

Toyota boost UK manufacturing with 1,500 jobs

Car manufacturer Toyota has revealed £100 million of investment, and 1,500 jobs to go with it at its Derbyshire operation.

A new generation of C-segment hatchback models will be built at the the firms Burnaston plant as part of its European production strategy.

Didier Leroy, Toyota Motor Europe President and CEO, said: “Toyota has a long and successful record of building vehicles and engines in the UK and our facilities here are among the finest in the world in terms of efficiency and environmental performance.

“The investment we are making will secure a dynamic future for TMUK as a leading manufacturing centre for our core models in Europe. It also supports our commitment to delivering superior quality vehicles and contributes to Toyota’s sustainable growth in Europe.

“We are not only making a significant investment in our own operations and workforce here, but also sustaining our supplier network in the UK. We know that together we can build vehicles that deliver the highest standards of quality, reliability and environmental efficiency.”

The news comes on a bumper day for the region’s economy, as Nestlé also announced 300 new jobs.

David Cameron welcomed the news as a “massive vote of confidence for UK manufacturing.”

He said: “This investment and the jobs it will create provide a terrific boost not just to the local economy but to the whole country, and is a tribute to the great skill, hard work and sheer professionalism shown by the Toyota workforce.

“Toyota’s commitment to the UK shows the growing strength of the UK car industry - it is our great British success story.

“It is vital that we build a more balanced economy, one with manufacturing, innovation and exports at its heart. The automotive sector is leading the way in helping us achieve this - it is an extraordinary success story and one that we are very proud of.”

Production at Burnaston will take Toyota’s total investment in its UK manufacturing business to more than £2.1 billion.

The site is one of the firm’s special ‘sustainable plants’ which focuses on setting industry standards in cleaner, low carbon production and the harnessing of sustainable energy sources.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .