The luxury cars sector has become one of Britain’s strongest export markets, with consumers in the Middle East and China in particular keen to get their hands on brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls Royce. However, since the end of the recession, demand for luxury vehicles in the UK has also picked up, causing many manufacturers to invest heavily in plant expansion and growth in order to fulfil the higher supply requirements.
Bentley Motors has announced an £800 million investment into an expansion of its Crewe headquarters following a highly successful year. The 95 year old car manufacturer delivered a total of 10,120 cars in 2013, marking the highest total in its history and setting it well on its way to achieving a total delivery of 15,000 cars per annum by 2018.
As part of the investment, Bentley intends to increase its workforce in Crewe by creating a total of 140 new positions, 90 of which will be filled by skilled engineers. 51 apprenticeships will also be created as part of the large scale recruitment drive – an announcement welcomed by the Chancellor as it will effectively reduce youth unemployment in the Cheshire and North Staffordshire regions.
Member of the board for Human Resources at Bentley, Dr Ariane Reinhart, believes the new recruits will prove invaluable to the firm in the coming years.
She says; “It is vital we continue to bring fresh thinking into the business and continually develop talent and craftsmanship.
“We need skilled and committed individuals who will help us sustain levels of excellence that are important to our own successful future.”
The recruitment drive marks Bentley’s greatest investment into its workforce for ten years, and coincides with the beginning of works on the company’s first Sports Utility Vehicle which is due to be launched in 2016. Around 40 of the new engineers are expected to be assigned to work on the new model, which chief executive Wolfgang Schreiber has confirmed will be “the first hybrid” vehicle ever created by Bentley.
Part of the £800 million investment at Crewe will be dedicated to creating facilities for the creation of the SUV, thus further boosting employment within the local economy.
Although the Chinese market slowed slightly last year, with sales dropping from 2,253 cars in 2012 to 2,191, this was offset by a mammoth 28 per cent sales leap in the USA. This remains Bentley’s biggest market, although early indicators from the Eastern markets this year forecast China to be a close second when annual results for 2014 are published.
Cheshire East Council Leader Michael Jones welcomed the news of new investment into Bentley’s headquarters, saying; “This is a tremendous vote of confidence in Crewe: it is a welcome boost for the local economy and further proof that Crewe is a town with huge potential.
“Cheshire East will continue to work in partnership with Bentley and other employers – large and small – to ensure we have the right infrastructure and skills that will help bring skilled jobs and investment to the people of Crewe.”
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