The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
West Midlands; Herefordshire; Worcestershire and Warwickshire
Location of affected unit(s)
Longbridge, Birmingham
Sector
Manufacturing Manufacture For Transport Equipment Manufacture Of Motor Vehicles, Trailers And Semi-Trailers 29.1 - Manufacture of motor vehicles
1,200 jobs Number of planned job creations
Announcement Date
27 September 2005
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
Description
Nanjing Automobile, the Chinese carmaker that bought the assets of MG Rover are to create up to 1,200 jobs at Longbridge. Wang Qiu Jing, vice-president of Nanjing Automobile, said: 'We believe this figure could be higher, subject to detailed planning.' Production of two existing MG models could restart late 2006, the company said, with the aim of lifting production, including new models, to 100,000 a year by 2010.
The announcement was designed to head off concern among some that Nanjing was only interested in a so-called 'lift and shift' operation involving the transfer of all the Longbridge equipment to the company's plant in China
The plan to build a new business at Longbridge centres on two of the three original assembly lines and the plant's most modern paint shop. The Powertrain engine assets, also bought by Nanjing, will be transferred to China and engines made there will supply cars built at Longbridge. Nanjing has about 400 staff and contractors at Longbridge reconfiguring the site and removing the equipment earmarked for shipment to China. The initial assumption is to reorganise the production facilities at Longbridge to create a production capacity of 100,000 cars, just below the last year's output by MG Rover, which had a much larger workforce.
In February 2006 the company renewed its lease on part of the Longbridge site. They also indicated that between 600 and 1,000 workers could be employed in the future on sports car production.
Sources
28 September 2005: The Guardian
22 February 2006: BBC News
Citation
Eurofound (2005), Nanjing Automobile, Business expansion in United Kingdom, factsheet number 62314, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/62314.
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