| Last Monday, the BMW Group plant in Swindon, | | | | great British brand - the MINI." |
| Wiltshire celebrated the beginning of their Mini | | | | The celebration was also joined by 10 plant |
| Clubman production. The German automaker | | | | employees who are to receive their long service |
| invested £200 million sometime between | | | | awards on the said event. Hauser considered the |
| 2005 and 2007 to link their pressing plants in | | | | 325 years of the plant an achievement and having |
| Swindon, engine plants in Hams Hall near | | | | such hardworking employees, the plant sees a |
| Birmingham and its assembly plant in Oxford. | | | | more productive future. |
| The union of these BMW plants targets the | | | | "This is a tremendous achievement and we are |
| production of 200,000 vehicles this year and | | | | delighted they were able to join us. They have |
| 240,000 vehicles in the medium term. 220,000 | | | | seen many changes over the years. The plant, in |
| MINI's are also aimed to be delivered to | | | | which they have spent so much of their lives, |
| customers all over the world. | | | | now looks forward to a robust and positive |
| The event was attended by the Mayor of | | | | future." |
| Swindon and other prominent personalities from | | | | To break the 200,000 MINI's produced in 2005 |
| Swindon's business community. | | | | BMW invested £100 million to the Oxford |
| Klaus Hauser, Managing director of BMW Group | | | | plant, £60 million for MINI body pressings and |
| Plant Swindon and the host of the event said, | | | | sub-assembly technologies to the Swindon plant, |
| "With the launch of the MINI Clubman, the third | | | | £30 million for new and advanced petrol |
| MINI derivative, we are expecting new production | | | | engines at the Hams Hall. |
| and sales records for MINI this year which is | | | | With the added investment at the Swindon Plant |
| great news for Swindon and the UK automotive | | | | resulting to increased capacity and flexibility will |
| industry. The new model is another milestone for | | | | make the plant accountable for 90 percent of the |
| the plant and we are confident that it will offer an | | | | pressings and 80 percent of the body-shell |
| exciting next chapter in the MINI success story. | | | | sub-assembly work for the MINI. The plant now |
| We look forward to our employees continuing to | | | | uses extensive modernization program and the |
| make a vital contribution to the development of a | | | | most advanced technology in seam production. |