The Welsh Government is providing a £3.4m package through the Economic Growth Fund to support a strategically important £12million investment at Tallent Automotive Ltd in Llanelli, safeguarding more than 300 jobs.
The funding, announced by Business Minister Edwina Hart today, will safeguard a total of 302 jobs, which includes an increased number of permanent positions at the plant.
The investment will also secure the medium- term future of the Llanelli plant and enable it to invest in new high tech robotic equipment to supply automotive components to Jaguar Land Rover.
Business Minister Edwina Hart said the Economic Growth Fund was set up to provide fast track financial support to companies to enable them to invest to grow.
She said: “In this instance Welsh Government funding has attracted an additional £9million investment into Wales from the parent company, a significant investment in challenging economic times.
“It has also safeguarded hundreds of jobs in Llanelli, with potential for many more new automotive jobs in the future. It has also enabled a Wales based company to become more competitive and increase production and sales to one of its key suppliers.”
Tallent Automotive Ltd is part of Gestamp Automocion S.L, a privately owned European industrial group headquartered in Spain that acquired the automotive components division of Thyssen Krupp Steel AG in 2011
Talent Automotive Ltd is its principal UK trading company manufacturing a range of components for the automotive sector from six sites around the UK.
Sue Boulton, Group HR Manager said: “We are delighted that our new owner Gestamp Automotive and the Welsh Government have committed to invest in our Llanelli plant.
“This investment will not only protect existing jobs but help us secure new business by improving our competitiveness. The plant and our employees have lived with the burden of the threat of closure in recent years with the workforce dropping to around 90 at its lowest ebb.
“The rebuilding we have seen over the past two years will be accelerated by this investment and we now have a positive climate within which to continue to work constructively with our employees to secure and grow our business. It is an exciting time for us all.”
The Llanelli facility makes steel and aluminium pressings and assemblies for the automotive sector and this planned investment will provide it with large and medium robotic press lines that are not currently available in the UK.
The investment will increase capacity to support new JLR sales and enable it to meet the high standards expected from a Tier 1 global supplier.
The investment, primarily for purchasing and installing robotic automated press lines, also includes reconfiguring the plant layout and providing new changing and canteen facilities.