The company now has plans to open more foreign plants in the future
After the grand opening this week of its new £240m factory in Brazil, Jaguar Land Rover have announced plans to open more foreign plants in the future.
The new factory, located in Itatiaia, is JLR’s first completely owned manufacturing plant not based in the UK.
JLR, who are a UK-based company, also have an assembly operation in India and a factory in China, with plans for a £1billion plant in Slovakia. For the first time ever, global sales for the company reached over 500,000 units last year.
JLR opens £240m Brazil factory
JLR’s manufacturing executive director, Wolfgang Stadler, said: “We are far away from making a decision beyond the next step into Slovakia, but I am sure the Slovakian plant won’t be the last one.”
Jaguar Land Rover launched the new plant in Itatiaia, at a glamorous opening ceremony. The new factory is situated on the main highway that connects Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
The new plant has the capacity to deal with 12,000 units each year, with plans to expand to 24,000.
Mr Stadler said that the new factory will be responsible for building the Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Ranger Rover Evoque, both of which are their best selling vehicles locally. He went on to say that the move will hopefully secure their lead within the mid-size premium SUV market, of which they have a 30% share.
Around three-hundred people will be employed at the new plant and the cars produced their will be made with around 40% of local parts, which will enable the company to qualify for exemptions in Brazil.
JLR has “looked at all markets” for suitable plants in the future, said Mr Stadler. He added that Russia had been discussed, even though it was “a very difficult market”.
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