Jaguar Land Rover have announced that its brand new Land Rover Discovery sport model is set to be built in Halewood.
The collaboration is also due to generate hundreds of jobs with the recruitment of 250 workers already underway. This will see the workforce at Halewood grow to 4,750, which is three times what it was just four years previously.
The annoucenment was leaked to an auidence at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral by CEO Dr Ralf Speth 12 hours before it was due to be released.
An investment of £200m is being pumped into Halewood to accommodate the production of the brand new sport model.
The Liverpool plant produces over 200,000 Range Rover Evoques every year already – four out of every five shipped to 170 global markets.
Speaking at a banquet Dr Speth said:
“Tonight I want to make an announcement to you. I am delighted Liverpool has been selected to build the new Land Rover Discovery Sport. This investment is totally deserved and strengthens the special relationship that bonds Jaguar Land Rover to this great city.”
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson who hosted the banquet in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral saw the accidental annoucement as a happy accident.
“I only learned about it a few hours earlier. It is great for Liverpool and for our economy, but it is also a demonstration of faith in car builders in our city. The fact this announcement is being made during the current International Festival of Business we are staging is brilliant.”
Richard Else, JLR’s Operations Director at Liverpool said:
“I am delighted to be welcoming the new Land Rover Discovery Sport to Halewood. Its arrival has been a further boost to the region and to our committed and loyal workforce who are all passionate ambassadors for this great company. In many ways Halewood has has embodied the transformation of Jaguar Land Rover. We have seen our workforce treble and production quadruple in just four years. Today we are operating 24-hours a day to meet global demand.”
Source: Liverpool Confidential