Welsh Secretary: Aston Martin creating a lasting legacy in Wales
Luxury car brand starts conversion of St Athan facility ahead of SUV production in 2019.
Aston Martin DBX concept car
Aston Martin’s investment in St Athan will create a lasting legacy for the region, Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns will say when he attends a special ceremony to mark the beginning of the redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) site into the car brand’s newest manufacturing facility.
Work has already begun on staff facilities at the site and the second phase will start in earnest when the company today (6 April) gains access to the three Ministry of Defence “super hangars” that will house the manufacturing plant.
In February 2016, Aston Martin Lagonda announced that the DBX – a ‘crossover’ sports utility vehicle – would be made at St Athan with the creation of 750 jobs with a likely further 1,000 across the supply chain and local businesses in Wales. The first vehicle is expected to come off the production line in 2020.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will be on hand at the prestigious event in the Vale of Glamorgan which marks the start of the transition of the aircraft hangars into Wales’ newest, state of the art manufacturing plant.
Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns said:
Thanks to the close partnership between the UK and Welsh Governments and the prestigious Aston Martin brand, the St Athan site is springing back to life as a significant centre of employment, bringing with it valuable skills and a lasting legacy for the entire region.
As the UK exits the EU, we are determined that our country remains a great place to invest and to do business. Aston Martin’s decision to invest in Wales shows that we are creating and supporting the right conditions for industry investment. The UK Government’s comprehensive industrial strategy will build on that success, ensuring that we have the right infrastructure, skills and support in place for our world-leading industries as well as support for new emerging sectors to flourish.
The automotive sector is the UK’s largest manufacturing export sector and is spread nationally. St Athan will be the sole production facility for the new Aston Martin crossover vehicle. With growing demand for these types of vehicles in markets such as China and the United States, it is expected that over 90% of the production from St Athan will be exported outside of the United Kingdom.