Member Article

Bentley to create 1,000 jobs at Crewe plant

British car maker, Bentley Motors, has announced the fourth model of its SUV will be manufactured in Crewe along with the creation of more than 1,000 jobs.

Sales of the new car will begin in 2016 after an investment of over £800m into Bentley’s Crewe headquarters and the development of new car models.

The announcement was made on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister, David Cameron, who commented: “This £800 million investment and a thousand new jobs from Bentley is fantastic news for both Crewe and for the UK as a whole.

“It is another important milestone in strengthening our economy. One sector that we know is sprinting ahead in the global race is our booming automotive industry.

“One vehicle rolls off a production line somewhere in the UK every 20 seconds and we have just launched the Government’s Automotive Industrial Strategy to help continue this success for years to come.

“I am delighted that Bentley will be building their new vehicle here, not only creating a thousand jobs, but safeguarding many more, as well as increasing training opportunities for highly skilled apprentices.”

Dr Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Volkswagen Group board, was also present at the announcement.

He said: “The Volkswagen Group believes in the UK as a competitive location for industrial production. Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand’s first SUV.

“Together we will make this new Bentley another true Bentley – powerful, exclusive and successful.”

Business Secretary, Vince Cable, added: “This is a welcome commitment to the UK from a major international car maker.

“Our automotive industrial strategy proves this government’s commitment to working with world-class companies like Bentley to create jobs and promote exports.

“Bentley was the first firm I visited as a government minister and serves as a real example of high value manufacturing. They export more than four out of every five cars they make in the UK to the rest of the world.”

Bentley’s chairman and chief executive, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, commented: “This is excellent news for Bentley and for the UK. Bentley is increasingly successful and this new fourth model line will leverage the success of the global SUV market.

“The support of everyone involved with the Company has been fundamental to this decision, which will ensure sustainable growth for the company.”

The Bentley SUV will be made to the hallmarks of the company brand, including luxury, performance, quality and craftsmanship.

Bentley said it will be the “most luxurious and most powerful SUV in the market”, adding that customers have had a very positive response to their SUV models in the past 16 months.

Former HR director and current chair at the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, Christine Gaskell, said: “The Crewe site has won this project having faced stiff competition from other sites in Europe.

“It is great news for Crewe, Cheshire and Warrington and the UK. It shows we are still the premier location for luxury car production.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .