Category: News

The following article was first published on the SMMT website on Friday 9th December 2011

Over the past 18 months, Vauxhall Motors has awarded more than €230m worth of contracts to UK suppliers, making a significant contribution to the UK economy, securing higher revenue, export value and employment within the automotive sector.

Suppliers across the UK have been awarded contracts on the basis of quality, service, technology and price. The new business includes supply to Vauxhall’s two UK plants in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and Luton, Bedfordshire, as well as export to General Motors (GM) divisions across the globe.

In line with the Automotive Council’s strategy to ensure the long term strategic development of the UK automotive industry with a particular focus on the supply chain, Vauxhall/GM is committed to identifying and promoting sourcing opportunities in the UK.

Bill Parfitt, Chairman of GM UK and Vauxhall Motors and also the first Chairman of the Automotive Council’s Supply Chain Group, said, “Vauxhall is keen to build on the momentum and push for new business with UK suppliers to the benefit of local economies and GM globally who are now increasingly aware of the great potential that resides in the UK.”

One example of Vauxhall Motors’ investment is with Cobra UK in Wales. From its factory in Welshpool, Powys, Cobra UK has won a number of contracts to supply components for Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant and other GM facilities around the world. This led to Cobra UK being awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise this year in recognition of its export achievements.

A flourishing UK supply base is fundamental to the future success of the wider automotive industry. Click through to read about how SMMT is strengthening the supply chain.

Find out about other high-profile announcements from UK automotive companies regarding investment, expansion, new models and employment.

Visit the Automotive Council website to find out more about the aims and objectives of the Supply Chain Group.

Toyota has announced today, that it is to build all its new generation C-segment hatchback models at its Burnaston manufacturing facility in Derbyshire, pledging a £100 million investment in the site.

Becoming the sole European manufacturing centre for the new hatchbacks, including hybrid, petrol and diesel models, the Burnaston plant will see a significant increase in production volumes, creating up to 1,500 additional jobs in the next two years.

Welcoming the news of further investment into UK automotive manufacturing, Prime Minster David Cameron said, “This major announcement from Toyota is fantastic news and a massive vote of confidence for UK manufacturing.

“This investment and the jobs it will create provide a terrific boost not just to the local economy but to the whole country, and is a tribute to the great skill, hard work and sheer professionalism shown by the Toyota workforce. Toyota’s commitment to the UK shows the growing strength of the UK car industry – it is our great British success story.

“It is vital that we build a more balanced economy, one with manufacturing, innovation and exports at its heart. The automotive sector is leading the way in helping us achieve this – it is an extraordinary success story and one that we are very proud of.”

Toyota’s £100 million investment will feed directly into tooling and equipment at the Burnaston vehicle plant, taking Toyota’s total investment in its UK manufacturing business to more than £2.1 billion since it was established as the company’s first European production centre in 1989. In addition, Toyota has promised a further a £85 million into the UK supply chain.

“Toyota’s announcement is excellent news for employees at the Burnaston and Deeside plants and UK-based suppliers,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive.

“This year’s wave of high-profile UK investment announcements is great news for the future of the industry, creating and protecting thousands of jobs and helping to secure economic recovery.”

Together with the Avensis saloon and tourer, hatchback production at Burnaston will further strengthen the UK’s status as a global exporter, as approximately 85% of Toyota’s UK-built engines and vehicles are shipped to Europe and other world markets.

Tony Walker, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, and Deputy Managing Director said, “This is great news for Burnaston and Deeside. The decision to bring all production of new generation C-segment hatchbacks to Britain reflects on the excellent work done by our members in delivering the highest standards in productivity and quality.

“Going beyond our own operations, there will also be benefits for our local communities and regions, safeguarding thousands of jobs in the UK supply chain.”

The Burnaston facility boasts a special status as one of Toyota’s global Sustainable Plants, setting industry standards in cleaner, low carbon production and the harnessing of sustainable energy sources.

Toyota’s achievements in the UK include zero waste to landfill and incineration whilst significantly reducing the amount of energy and water required to build each vehicle. In July this year Toyota achieved another UK industry first with the inauguration of Britain’s largest industrial solar panel array, capable of capturing up to 4.6 million kWh of sustainable energy every year – enough to build around 7,000 cars.

Toyota’s investment in manufacturing and the production of cleaner, more efficient vehicles such as the Auris Hybrid, fall in line with the UK government’s ambitions both for a stronger manufacturing sector and a low carbon society.

Developed by the German automotive industry VDA 6.3 defines a process based audit standard for evaluating and improving controls in a manufacturing organisation’s processes. Revised in 2010, the standard was comprehensively restructured to reflect the changes to ISO9001 and customer specific requirements in the automotive industry.

The standard can be used by any organisation, either for internal process audits, or for evaluating potential or existing suppliers.

Overview

This awareness seminar will provide an overview of the structure, content and scoring evaluation systems of VDA 6.3 together with an overview of customer specific requirements in terms of VDA 6.3.

The seminar will be delivered by Paul Hardiman, one of our approved VDA trainers and a member of the IATF Training & Exam Commission for ISO/TS16949.

There will be plenty of opportunities for questions and answers throughout the session. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided.

Seminar Details

Time:

9.00am – 12.30pm

Location:

IF Learning Centre,  SMMT Industry Forum, 2410 Regents Court, The Crescent, Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham, B37 7YE, UK

Cost:

£75 per delegate plus VAT

To book a place….

Please contact Sophie Meeson on 0121 717 6628, email [email protected] or fill in the enquiry form below.

[contact-form-7 id=”4477″ title=”VDA Seminar”]

Ever had difficulty finding the benefits of all that improvement activity on your bottom line? Perhaps you’re looking in the wrong place in the wrong timescale……..

If there are unrealistic expectations about the short-term financial returns to be made from improvements this can lead to disillusionment and a scaling down of activity just when the financial benefits are within your grasp.

SMMT IF is hosting a workshop exploring the link between improvement activities and financial performance.

This workshop will start by building a simple model of how all businesses work in financial terms and then use that model to explore the financial impact of different types of improvement activity. Concepts such as the difference between Profit and Cash Flow will be explained in straight-forward terms and the likelihood of current reporting methodologies encouraging ‘bad behaviour’ will be discussed.

As  the subject  is approached from a ‘common-sense’ perspective, the session caters for all levels of existing financial knowledge from those who consider themselves financially illiterate to those with substantial previous exposure to financial issues.

The workshop will be lead by Anne Hawkins who has worked with Industry Forum as an associate since 2003. Anne has an enviable reputation for explaining seemingly complex financial issues in straight-forward terms and is the author of a number of books including ‘Lean Means Beans’ and ‘Mastering The Numbers’.

The workshop is on 8th November 2011 and costs £50 + VAT per delegate which includes a copy of ‘Lean Means Beans’ for each delegate. To book a place online please click here

Industry Forum are preparing a range of courses in Finance to be delivered in 2012 and will be using this workshop as a means to gain feedback from delegates to ensure that these courses are tailored to meeting the needs of their clients.

 

• To book a place online please click here
• Download Agenda

 

Further Information:

• [email protected]
• +44 (0)121 717 6614
• Download Flyer

Rolls-Royce has announced plans to expand its manufacturing facility at Goodwood in West Sussex as the brand celebrates significant growth in global sales.

The expansion will see total investment of approximately £10 million and will complete the final phase of the site’s development.

Work will see the assembly hall increased in size by more than 2,500 square metres, and a new extension added to the Surface Finish Centre, expanding it by more than 640 square metres.

Rolls-Royce say that the new development, coupled with a number of additional infrastructure changes will allow significant growth in manufacturing capacity as well as its ‘Bespoke’ operation, which allows customers to commission motor cars that are completely personalised to meet their lifestyles and creative ideas.

The decision to expand the plant follows record sales across all markets, both at home and internationally as the company continues to increase its dealer network with several new dealerships launched in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce said, “We continue to see increased demand from customers all over the world and the new facilities will allow us to increase the capacity for our hand-built, highly personalised motor cars.

Business Minister Mark Prisk MP said, “It is good news to hear that Rolls-Royce has plans for expansion at the Goodwood site. It is a further endorsement of the strength of the automotive sector in the UK.”

Expansion of the site is scheduled to commence later this year and will be completed in late 2012.

Released 5th September 2011

Jaguar Land Rover today welcomed its largest single intake of graduates in the company’s history. The 336 new recruits are beginning a two year programme developed to provide the right blend of technical expertise, personal development and knowledge needed for a truly rewarding career at one of the world’s leading automotive businesses.

The 2011 graduate intake are joining Jaguar Land Rover during one of the most exciting and challenging periods in the automotive industry as climate change, global consumer demands and economic volatility combine to challenge current ideologies and demand greater technological innovation.

Jaguar Land Rover HR Director, Des Thurlby, said: “Today marks an important day both for the graduates who are embarking on their careers with us and for our business as we enter a phase of intense investment in our future – investment in products, people and infrastructure. This is an incredibly exciting time for Jaguar Land Rover and these new recruits have a critical role to play in shaping our business and delivering our future success.”

As the highest ranking automotive manufacturer in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers index, Jaguar Land Rover has a proven track record in developing the future generation of innovators, engineers, buyers and marketeers needed to support its ambitious plans for growth and fuel expansion in to new and emerging markets. In the last four years alone Jaguar Land Rover has employed nearly 700 graduates who bring to the business energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas.

During their first day with the company the graduates took part in an in-depth induction programme during which they met with members of the Jaguar Land Rover Board, got to grips with the latest product line up and were given an inspirational speech on team work and leadership from Olympic Champion and Patron of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, Sir Steven Redgrave.

Commenting on his appointment, Abhishek Sampat, a graduate in Automotive Engineering Design said: “I knew from beginning my course at Coventry University that I wanted a career in the automotive industry. As the largest investor in automotive R&D and engineering in the UK it was clear that Jaguar Land Rover could provide me with  the opportunity to learn from industry leaders in this field. It was also clear that a role here meant I would be able to make a strong and tangible contribution from the outset “.

Competition for the places was fierce with over 8,500 applications and in the coming months the company is set to launch its next campaign to find graduates for 2012.

To find out more about career opportunities in UK automotive, click here.

It has been announced today that Dr Chris Owen has been appointed Chief Executive of SMMT Industry Forum – the world-leading productivity improvement and training business. Since 1995, the organisation has provided support services to global companies across manufacturing industries, capitalising on its unique automotive heritage.

“I am delighted that Chris has agreed to lead SMMT Industry Forum through its next stage of development,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. “There is renewed enthusiasm for the value of manufacturing and SMMT Industry Forum has the tools and techniques to help companies attain global competitiveness.”

“The unique automotive heritage embedded in the DNA of SMMT Industry Forum is of significant value to companies in every manufacturing industry,” said Chris Owen. “There are great new opportunities for this business and I am honoured to have the chance to lead it during such an exciting period.”

From 10 October, Dr Owen will take charge of the business – now in its 16^th year of operation – calling on his experience in technology, product engineering and quality roles at Perkins Engines and as General Manager of a Caterpillar manufacturing business in France.

SMMT Industry Forum is crucial to the UK and global automotive industries and impacts on a diverse range of other sectors, from aerospace to pharmaceutical, through its best-practice training and business improvement services. The organisation’s engineers and trainers deliver practical solutions, crucial learning and development and, through internationally accredited audit and assessment processes, enhance the productivity and efficiency of businesses across the globe.

For more information about SMMT Industry Forum, please view our website, www.industryforum.co.uk and keep up to date with us on Twitter – @smmtif 

Industry Forum publishes its latest article which focusses on ‘The aerospace sector and its opportunities in the UK economy‘ – click here to view the complete article.

 

Industry Forum has launched a new Leadership & Cultural Change Programme which will be run at its modern Learning Centre in Birmingham. The first course is due to run between 29th November 2011 and 2nd December 2011.

The Leadership and Cultural Change Programme is designed to equip leaders of teams, change agents and engineering project/programme managers with fourteen Key Skills that will enable them to lead change effectively. The programme is delivered in a highly interactive way to allow leaders to experience these skills through a variety of realistic situations. The interactive delivery model allows leaders to develop practical solutions to the challenging situations they face in the working environment whether it is a planned or unplanned period of change.

Participants may include new or experienced managers and professionals who have the responsibility for leading or working as part of a team. The programme is designed to support cross-functional, task or permanent teams achieve the skills required to implement change and develop organisational learning. The teams can include managers and professionals from all business functions e.g. Manufacturing, Purchasing, Logistics, Engineers, Sales, Human Resources, Finance and Customer Service.

For more information on the course, and to book a place on the course, contact us by emailing [email protected]

 

Are you at the forefront of automotive technology, developing tomorrow’s cutting-edge products today?

SMMT is calling on all automotive innovators to finalise their entries for this year’s Award for Automotive Innovation, as there are just five weeks remaining before the entry deadline closes at midnight on 24 August 2011.

Sponsored by GKN Driveline, the Award recognises excellence in automotive design, engineering and technology, highlighting achievements in innovation and acknowledging ideas that have already benefitted, or have the potential to deliver, automotive excellence. The Award is free to enter and open to any individual or organisation wishing to highlight their contribution to the UK automotive industry.

Last year’s Award was presented to Gordon Murray Design for the iStream©, which wowed judges with its innovative approach to manufacturing. It uses disruptive technology for large-scale vehicle production, reducing costs and its environmental impact and has since gone on to form the basis of the T.25 and a prototype electric vehicle, the T.27, which was unveiled earlier this year.

Shortlisted entries receive industry recognition within one of the UK’s most diverse and exciting industries and the winner will be presented with the Award at SMMT’s 95th Annual Dinner on 22 November 2011.

To enter, click here and for more information about the Award or contact Kate Owen by email [email protected] or by telephone +44(0)20 7344 1610