JLR drives business success as it backs Company of Year award
JAGUAR Land Rover has joined the prestigious line-up of companies backing the Birmingham Post Business Awards (BPBA) 2017 and sponsoring its premier accolade – Company of the Year.
The UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, which employs 40,000 around the globe and supports 240,000 more through dealerships, suppliers and local businesses, has joined BPBA 2017 because it believes the awards help to boost Birmingham’s business community by honouring its achievements.
Nominations for the 13 categories have been flooding in as the deadline for entries approaches on Friday, July 21.
JLR operations director Nigel Blenkinsop said: “Our ambition is to achieve long-term responsible business growth by placing sustainability at the heart of our business strategy.
“We are doing this by reducing the environmental impact of our operations and making a positive impact on society through our community programmes.
“Awards play a vital part in our community relations strategy, as recognising success and sharing best practice help build stronger communities which create a better environment to do business in.”
JLR is built around two quintessential British car brands – Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.
The firm sponsored the Post’s Company of the Year award last year and once more is looking to reward a business that has performed outstandingly in the past 12 months, showing a real dedication to success – while showcasing the business prospects in Birmingham to potential investors.
Mr Blenkinsop said: “We chose to support the Company of the Year award to celebrate the achievements of businesses in the region.
“Following a £2 billion investment, our Solihull Advanced Manufacturing Centre has doubled its workforce and trebled production over the last five years and employs 10,000 people, plus supports many additional jobs through the supply chain.
“The region is home to many successful businesses and we want to celebrate their achievements and demonstrate to potential investors that Birmingham is a great place to do business in.”
Blenkinsop also outlined JLR’s plans for the future, including exciting new car models.
“Over the past six years, Jaguar Land Rover has doubled sales and employment, more than tripled turnover and invested more than £15 billion in new product creation and capital expenditure,” he said.
“This year, we will continue to launch desirable products and aim to deliver strong, profitable and sustainable growth.
“We will continue to invest significantly in new models and innovation, as shown by the new Land Rover Discovery, the forthcoming Range Rover Velar and all-electric Jaguar I-PACE – reinforcing our commitment to new technologies and providing new and compelling customer experiences.”
Mr Blenkinsop further outlined how JLR will continue to contribute to Birmingham’s business community. He said: “We employ 38,000 people in the UK and an additional 3,000 globally and support around 240,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses. We constantly look at our operations and how they affect the people who live near our sites. And to help us make the right, informed choices, we maintain good relationships with