Honda chose press day at the Paris Motor Show to announce its continued commitment to the Swindon plant and to British manufacturing.
The factory already employs 4,200 employees and bringing a further 700 new workers to the operation, will allow Honda to achieve its full production potential, increasing production to a quarter of a million units by the end of 2007.
Following recent other UK investment announcements by BMW and Nissan, this is further recognition and reward for the efficiency and quality of British car workers.
Honda will produce 190,000 cars in the UK in 2006. The extra production volume is required to meet the unprecedented European demand for the all new Civic 5 door and 3 door models, exclusively built in Swindon. In the first eight months of 2006, Honda Motor Europe has sold more Civics than in the whole of 2005, a 30% uplift.
In addition, the all new Honda CR-V, which makes its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, will be built in Swindon and will go on sale from January 2007.
Speaking to media at the Paris Motor Show, Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said, ‘We plan to increase output of both the CR-V and the Civic in our Swindon, UK plant from next spring, taking Swindon up to its full capacity of 250,000 units on a yearly basis, within 2007’
Announcing the increase at Honda Swindon, Dave Hodgetts, Director of Planning and Administration at Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd commented: ‘This next phase of development for Honda is a massive vote of confidence in all our Associates working at the Swindon Plant and clearly demonstrates Honda’s long-term commitment to the region and to British manufacturing’
Recruitment will start immediately and whilst the majority of roles are in Production, there are also employment opportunities for Purchasing Specialists and Maintenance Engineers.
Honda celebrated 20 years of its Swindon operation earlier this year and is able to achieve this next phase of development with increased efficiency and without the need for any further investment in plant infrastructure to the £1.33 billion already invested by Honda.
