Look beyond Britain, urges JLR director
Manufacturers should scale up and partner with others in emerging markets, according to a boss at Jaguar Land Rover.
Julian Hetherington, director of strategic manufacturing projects, said manufacturers in the UK should focus on making products in countries where the new middle classes "aspire to drive a Jaguar or a Land Rover".
Speaking at the a manufacturers' network meeting run by the Midlands office of Crowe Clark Whitehill, Hetherington welcomed government support for the sector and urged manufacturers to invest time and money in setting out a plan that anticipated customer demands.
He said: "We are an island in the mid-point of time zones with relatively cheap logistics and we speak the international business language as our mother tongue.
"Britain remains a great place to manufacture and from which to export."
He urged companies to seek advice from the Manufacturing Advisory Service, UK Trade & Investment and chambers of commerce.
