Leyland to invest £32m
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LEYLAND is to invest £32 million in a new plant to build its heavy range of vehicles — expected to include the new heavy T45 range.
The new assembly hall is to be built at the Leyland, Lancashire, headquarters and the money is coming from the latest £100 million cash injection approved by the National Enterprise Board.
Production of vehicles over 24 tons is expected to be nearly doubled by the development putting the company in the same capacity range as Volvo, Mercedes and the Iveco organisation.
News of the investment follows Leyland's decision to spend £20 million on reorganising its Scottish plants at Albion and Bathgate which produce the lighter vehicles.
It is also expected that 500 new jobs will be created by the expansion and its announcement has been welcomed by the workforce. The new plant will not be i production until 1980 bt when it does swing into actio it is expected that Leyland European market push will b helped by a production targc of 20,000 vehicles a year.
Production at the existin Leyland plant will be steppe up to around 425 units a weel The announcement of th investment plans also follow the decision to carry on wit the 815 Titan bus project a the former AEC works a Southall.