COMPANIES in South Tyneside are today celebrating the 25th anniversary of the launch of production at Nissan in Sunderland.
The borough has strong commercial and personal ties with the giant Japanese car firm – in some cases stretching back to 1986.
Hundreds of South Tynesiders have been employed at the plant and the borough maintains strong commercial links with Nissan, including Boldon parts supplier Hashimoto.
The plant is today marking the 25th anniversary of its opening by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, on September 8, 1986.
Vic Young Nissan, of Newcastle Road, South Shields, is a franchised Nissan dealer.
Managing director Vic Young, who sold Nissan cars before the plant’s launch, has been connected to the firm since the early 1980s.
Even before the launch of the Wearside plant – which benefited from a ready supply of local skilled labour, the proximity of Port of Tyne and the area’s excellent road network – Mr Young built up a strong relationship with Nissan staff and managers, advising them on buying homes and even helping set up local educational facilities for Japanese children.
On a commercial level, the Nissan links have proved lucrative and long-lasting.
Mr Young adding: “There was a feeling of despair until Nissan moved to the area. There was no motor manufacturing around here and Nissan arrived with no preconceived ideas. But the relationship has worked out well for everyone concerned.”
Northern Truck Bodies, based at the South Shields site, also supplies Nissan’s commercial vehicles, while the borough car showroom sees 89 per cent of customers returning to buy vehicles made at the plant, with the Qashqai currently being the most popular model locally.
Geoff Ford, chairman of South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum, said: “The North East is the only net exporter in the UK and I believe a lot of that is down to Nissan.
“I have recently been involved with the talent retention scheme, which provides a portal for employers looking for people with the right skills, and the scheme is sponsored by Nissan.
“Nissan has been a useful employer for hundreds of South Tynesiders since 1986 and is of major economic significance to the region.”
The Sunderland plant has rewritten the records for UK car production, with volumes increasing from 5,139 cars in 1986 to 423,262 cars in 2010 – the first time a UK car plant had made more than 400,000 vehicles in one year.
To mark the milestone, a ceremony was held today, with a time capsule covering the past 25 years buried on the site, recreating celebrations held when the plant’s construction began.
As well as celebrating a record year for production, staff produced their six millionth car in January, shortly before the first shipment of the electric Nissan Leaf arrived in February.
In June, Nissan’s chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, visited the UK to announce that the next generation Qashqai would be manufactured in the UK, just as the model became the fastest UK-made car to reach a million units.
Staff are gearing up for production at the company’s new Battery Plant in the New Year, ahead of Nissan Leaf production beginning at Sunderland in 2013. Together with production of the new Qashqai, Nissan’s total investment in the plant now stands at £3.3bn.
As the company with the biggest turnover in the North East, the plant plays a fundamental role in the region and the UK, with every job at there generating four more elsewhere.
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The borough has strong commercial and personal ties with the giant Japanese car firm – in some cases stretching back to 1986.
Hundreds of South Tynesiders have been employed at the plant and the borough maintains strong commercial links with Nissan, including Boldon parts supplier Hashimoto.
The plant is today marking the 25th anniversary of its opening by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, on September 8, 1986.
Vic Young Nissan, of Newcastle Road, South Shields, is a franchised Nissan dealer.
Managing director Vic Young, who sold Nissan cars before the plant’s launch, has been connected to the firm since the early 1980s.
Even before the launch of the Wearside plant – which benefited from a ready supply of local skilled labour, the proximity of Port of Tyne and the area’s excellent road network – Mr Young built up a strong relationship with Nissan staff and managers, advising them on buying homes and even helping set up local educational facilities for Japanese children.
On a commercial level, the Nissan links have proved lucrative and long-lasting.
Mr Young adding: “There was a feeling of despair until Nissan moved to the area. There was no motor manufacturing around here and Nissan arrived with no preconceived ideas. But the relationship has worked out well for everyone concerned.”
Northern Truck Bodies, based at the South Shields site, also supplies Nissan’s commercial vehicles, while the borough car showroom sees 89 per cent of customers returning to buy vehicles made at the plant, with the Qashqai currently being the most popular model locally.
Geoff Ford, chairman of South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum, said: “The North East is the only net exporter in the UK and I believe a lot of that is down to Nissan.
“I have recently been involved with the talent retention scheme, which provides a portal for employers looking for people with the right skills, and the scheme is sponsored by Nissan.
“Nissan has been a useful employer for hundreds of South Tynesiders since 1986 and is of major economic significance to the region.”
The Sunderland plant has rewritten the records for UK car production, with volumes increasing from 5,139 cars in 1986 to 423,262 cars in 2010 – the first time a UK car plant had made more than 400,000 vehicles in one year.
To mark the milestone, a ceremony was held today, with a time capsule covering the past 25 years buried on the site, recreating celebrations held when the plant’s construction began.
As well as celebrating a record year for production, staff produced their six millionth car in January, shortly before the first shipment of the electric Nissan Leaf arrived in February.
In June, Nissan’s chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, visited the UK to announce that the next generation Qashqai would be manufactured in the UK, just as the model became the fastest UK-made car to reach a million units.
Staff are gearing up for production at the company’s new Battery Plant in the New Year, ahead of Nissan Leaf production beginning at Sunderland in 2013. Together with production of the new Qashqai, Nissan’s total investment in the plant now stands at £3.3bn.
As the company with the biggest turnover in the North East, the plant plays a fundamental role in the region and the UK, with every job at there generating four more elsewhere.
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