Businesses celebrate JLR u-turn
Business Voice West Midlands said that it was “delighted” that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has cancelled plans to axe one of its West Midlands operations. James Watkins, executive director of the organisation, said that the move was “a sign of confidence in the workforce and the West Midlands economy”.
The automotive giant announced that it would be retaining both its Solihull and Castle Bromwich sites after revealing its intentions to close one only last month.
"This is a triumph for all concerned," said Jaguar Land Rover chief executive officer, Dr Ralf Speth. "We have ambitious plans for growth and the success of our products around the world and this agreement will allow us to accelerate and realize those plans.
"The agreement is a great deal for our workers and the company and we can now really get on with working together to achieve an even more exciting future for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands," added Dr Speth. "We have already started by beginning to hire 1,500 new employees to support the launch of the new Range Rover Evoque at our award-winning Halewood factory in Liverpool.”
The chief executive of the Manufacturing Advisory Service West Midlands, Simon Griffiths, told Insider that the u-turn was “great news for the region”.
“I hope that JLR’s decision to stay will show other businesses and overseas companies what a powerful force the West Midlands is,” he said.
