Wales’ Automotive Forum (WAF) says it was not simply a question of finance which convinced Aston Martin to build its new ‘DBX’ crossover in St Athans in The Principality with the creation of up to 4,000 direct and supply chain jobs.
The British sports car producer is to invest GBP200m (US$278m) in a ‘super hangar’ on the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) site, whose eventual selection appears to have had considerable backing from Prime Minister, David Cameron in a bid to retain Aston Martin on home soil.
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“It is not totally the money,” Wales Automotive Forum chief executive, Tim Williams told just-auto from Cardiff, with some speculation circulating other bids had exceeded those from The Principality.
“It is not totally about the size of the cash incentive – it is the cluster and skills base and a team committed to working with Aston Martin.
“It is Welsh government and UK government involvement. The Prime Minister did say a couple of months ago he was actively supporting the bid for Aston Martin to come to South Wales.
“It is great news for Wales, great news for the UK.”
St Athan had to fight off stiff competition from 19 other regions bidding for Aston Martin’s business as First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones confirmed.
“We have been working closely with the company [Aston Martin] for almost two years in the face of fierce competition from other potential sites across the world,” he said. “Our success today is testament to the reputation, dedication and skills of the Welsh workforce.
“Today is the start of a long-term relationship between Wales and Aston Martin. We will work together in building on the strong foundations of our partnership to nurture a prosperous and rewarding future for this iconic company and its skilled workforce in Wales.”
