After a strategic review of location alternatives, the i54 development site in Staffordshire was selected for Jaguar Land Rover’s new £355m advanced technology low emission engine plant.
The 220-acre business park became one of the newly created Enterprise Zones earlier in 2011, and has already received significant investment in infrastructure and high quality landscaping, including the imminent construction of a road providing direct access to junction 2 of the M54 motorway.
JLR will join Moog and Eurofins Scientific at the park.
Jaguar’s Development Plans for i54
The new Jaguar Land Rover site will cover approximately 80,000 sq m and incorporate two linked buildings consisting of a machining hall, assembly hall and ancillary offices. The construction of a new £36.7million slip road from the M54 motorway to the site was integral to JLR selecting i54, and works are ready to commence.
"As part of our long-term strategy for the JLR business, we will design, engineer and manufacture a new family of advanced engines,” said Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer at Jaguar Land Rover. “This is a major commitment for our company and we will produce these advanced, highly-efficient engines for future Jaguar and Land Rover models at a new facility in the UK.”
JLR will invest £1.5 billion annually on new product developments for the next five years, expanding their engine range and further exploiting the global potential of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. “The all-new family of 4 cylinder engines will increase JLR's capability to offer high performance engines with class-leading levels of refinement, whilst ensuring continued significant reductions in vehicle emissions," added Dr Speth.
Impact on Staffordshire’s Supply Chain
The impact of the JLR site will be far more widespread than in the immediate area of i54. First tier suppliers to JLR will already be reviewing their existing operations and whether they need to respond to provide new or additional capacity in proximity to their customer. In addition to i54, numerous premium development sites are within a 45-minute drive of i54, meaning that the Stoke & Staffordshire area is equipped to sustain this growth.
"This will mean almost 1,000 high-value, hi-tech jobs for people across the county, and further opportunities for businesses supplying this plant,” said Maitland Hyslop Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Chairman.
Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins added, “This is a fantastic spur for regional growth and job creation. A major business like JLR attracts further investment, which we’re ready for in Staffordshire and the wider region.”
Supporting Skills and Infrastructure
The JLR plant will create nearly 1,000 jobs, requiring many skilled engineers. Councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for economic growth and enterprise, said, “One of the key components of our offer as a destination for Jaguar Land Rover was the graduate workforce from our universities in Staffordshire and the wider region.”
Mike Wright, Executive Director at JLR, added, "I would like to pay tribute to the strong support we have received for this project from our key partners. The constructive and collaborative support we have received from the Government, our trade union colleagues, Local Authorities, local MPs, and of course our employees, has been crucial in enabling us to reach this very significant decision."
For more information about doing business in Staffordshire, please see Staffordshire County Council's listing.
