Brose UK set for growth after sealing Nissan contr...

A contract to supply window regulators for the new Nissan Qashqai is creating more jobs at Coventry automotive supplier Brose UK.

The German family-owned specialist of mechatronic systems and electric motors has set up an additional 7000 sq metre facility in Courtaulds Way in the City to meet demand from the Japanese car manufacturer and existing customers including Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota.

It marks the next chapter in a period of growth for the firm, which will see its workforce more than quadruple since 2012. This includes the continued employment of 13 new apprentices that are working in administration, IT, logistics, maintenance and production.

The company is also committed to supporting the recent upturn in the automotive sector and is keen to increase its local sourcing. It has already taken on four new domestic suppliers.

“The Nissan contract is the latest in a number of successes for our UK operation and reinforces investment in our operations at Coventry,” explained Thomas Kohlbauer, Managing Director of Brose UK.

“This deal drove our decision to create a new world class window regulator production facility in Courtaulds Way and this is now up and running, with 100 staff working on state-of-the-art automated machinery.”

He continued: “This gives us the ability to meet predicted volumes for Nissan, JLR and Toyota, whilst also providing the capacity to explore new opportunities in this market.”

Brose UK is enjoying similar growth in its other manufacturing operation, with more than £15m spent at its main manufacturing plant in Exhall to meet record volume levels for front and rear seating systems.

This growth has been largely due to increases in volumes at Jaguar Land Rover’s plants in Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull.

Thomas Kohlbauer concluded: “Nearly 500 people work across Brose UK’s two factories and this number will increase to 800 over the course of the next few years. The 300 new positions will be in a variety of roles, ranging from shopfloor operatives and general assembly workers to team leaders, quality, production and maintenance engineers.

“All new employees embark on the company’s personal development programme and are trained in world class manufacturing techniques. They also have the opportunity to work across the Group’s 58 locations across the world.”

Members of the Brose UK team showcased these opportunities at the National Engineering and Construction Recruitment Exhibition at the NEC last weekend.

About Brose

Brose is a partner to the international automotive industry and supplies around 80 car brands and over 30 suppliers with mechatronic systems and electric motors.

The family-owned company employs close to 22,000 people at 58 locations in 23 countries. In the 2013 fiscal year, it generated sales of around 4.7billion euros and is currently the fifth largest family-owned company amongst the top 40 automotive suppliers worldwide.