- Halewood switches to 24-hour manufacturing for the first time in its 50 year history.
- Extra shift signals global attractiveness of UK-built products like new Evoque.
Jaguar Land Rover has introduced a third shift at its thriving Halewood plant, which manufactures the Freelander 2 and Range Rover Evoque models. The plant will now operate around the clock production to cope with rising global demand for its new Evoque model.
The move will take production at Halewood to 24 hours for the first time in its history and demonstrates the global appeal of the new Range Rover Evoque, with nearly 88,000 vehicles sold in more than 170 markets.
Des Thurlby, HR Director at JLR said, “With 4,500 employees, JLR Halewood has trebled its workforce in just three years – and the size of the workforce is now the highest it has been for 20 years. As well as creating new jobs, our on-going global success means we continue to have a positive economic impact in the North West and throughout the UK supply chain.”
Richard Else, Halewood Operations Director, said, “Our new recruits have worked hard during their assessments and extensive induction training. Many have also worked a number of trial night shifts during July, to ensure we get off to a great start today. I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues as they come on-board to help us meet customer demand for the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Freelander.
The news follows JLR’s announcement earlier in the year to create over 1,000 new jobs at Halewood, raising skills levels with the recruitment of production operators, supervisors and engineers. The boost in activity at the plant is set to create significant opportunities in the UK automotive supply chain, opening up thousands more jobs in the local economy.
To read more about the major opportunities for the UK automotive supply chain, click here. Click through, for a full list of recent investment announcements in UK automotive.
