BMW MINI marked another milestone in the repertoire by starting production in Born/Netherlands on contract with Dutch’s local manufacturer VDL Nedcar.
The paper signed between the German auto giant and the Dutch based company was taken on-board for the Germans to achieve the impeccable sales target.
To delight, the Dutch King Willem-Alexander attended the plant inauguration ceremony to mark the country’s one more step towards industrial development. Further guest list included the German Ambassador, Franz Josef Kremp; the Netherland’s Secretary of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp; the CEO of VDL Groep, Wim van der Leegte; Dr. Andreas Wendt, Director of BMW Group Plant Regensburg – the partner plant of VDL Nedcar in Born; and Dr. Johann Wieland, Head of Indirect Purchasing, BMW Group.
This new facility is bounded by logistical aide from UK, the home of MINI.
“Contract production is a vital flexibility tool for us, and our experience gathered over the past ten years has been nothing but positive. Splitting production of the new MINI Hatch between Oxford and Born will give our global production network additional leeway,” stated Dr. Andreas Wendt, Director of the BMW Group’s Regensburg plant, the partner plant of VDL Nedcar in Born. “We appreciate the reliable, open and trustful cooperation with our Dutch partner. VDL Nedcar has many years of experience in producing high quality vehicles.”
The plant will see hiring of approximately 2,000 employees with expectations of the volume to reach 5-digit by this year. The standards of cars will be maintained intact as it happens to be from the Oxford. Of course, that could be possible as the staffs are entitled to go training on the BMW Group production system at the BMW plants in Leipzig, Oxford and Regensburg.