Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed plans of setting up a new factory in Slovakia. JLR will be the first British carmaker to open a manufacturing facility in Slovakia. The announcement follows an agreement between the company and the Government of the Slovak Republic to build a new plant in the city of Nitra, western Slovakia.
The new £1 billion premium manufacturing facility will eventually provide employment to around 2,800 people. The announcement follows Jaguar Land Rover’s recent confirmation to double its investment in its engine plant in the UK to almost £1 billion – the largest injection into a new British manufacturing plant in decades creating several hundred new jobs.
Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover commented, “Jaguar Land Rover is delighted today to welcome Slovakia into our family. The new factory will complement our existing facilities in the UK, China, India and Brazil and marks the next step in the company’s strategy to become a truly global business.”
As part of Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to deliver more lightweight vehicles, the plant will manufacture a range of all-new aluminium Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. It is anticipated that the first cars will come off the production line in late 2018. The factory will have an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles and construction will commence in 2016.
Robert Fico, Prime Minister said, “We are glad that Jaguar Land Rover has chosen Slovakia for its new world-class manufacturing facility. This decision shows that, with a stable and solid business environment, Slovakia is an attractive place for investors. And the marriage of Slovak craftsmanship and British engineering holds great promise.”