Cast Off At Deeside
Welsh First Secretary starts the aluminium castings production process at Toyota’s Deeside plant
23rd March 2000 – The First Secretary of the Welsh Assembly, Mr Rhodri Morgan today officially started the aluminium castings’ production process at Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd’s engine manufacturing site in Deeside, North Wales.
The casting plant is the first to be built by Toyota in Europe and is an important feature of Toyota’s on-going investment programme in Europe. Mr Mizushima, Managing Director, Toyota Manufacturing UK commented: “This is also a demonstration of Toyota’s total commitment within Europe, creating additional jobs within the local community and developing new skills and technology in the local area.”
The project to build a casting plant at Deeside was part of the £150 million investment announced in 1998 which brings Toyota total investment in the UK to almost £1.5 billion. The plant will provide aluminium parts for the new award-winning 1.4/ and 1.6/ VVT-i engines that are at the heart of the new Corolla model built at Burnaston, Toyota’s vehicle production site in Derbyshire.
More than 60 jobs have been created in the castings plant, bringing the total at Deeside to around 290 and the total employed by Toyota Manufacturing UK to 3,100. Mr Mizushima commented that “the castings process has brought a further technological dimension to the Deeside plant and this has offered development opportunities for our members”.
Winner of a 1997 Queen’s Award for Export, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd was established in December 1989 and its philosophy is to provide products with outstanding quality at reasonable prices to satisfy customer needs. It also seeks to obtain the status of “Good Corporate Citizen” in a manner that is socially responsible and contributes to the economic and social well being of the community in which it operates. It, therefore, has achieved the international quality and environment standards ISO9002 and ISO14001, a National Training Award and recognition as an Investor in People. In addition to the £1.2 million Toyota Science and Technology Education Fund, the company has to date contributed around £360, 000 to charitable and community activities around its two plants.
ENDS
