BMW owned Rolls-Royce has expanded the leather shop at its car assembly factory in southern England due, it said, “to the continued success of its Phantom and Ghost models”. An additional 10 machinist jobs are being offered.
The machinist team launched with four people in 2002 and currently has 30 skilled workers working two shifts. It’s the most international group in the plant with British, American, Portuguese, Ukrainian, German and Polish employees.
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They came from a variety of industries, including saddlery, ladies lingerie, upholstery, fashion and sail making. The team also at times includes apprentices and interns.
Rolls-Royces are still hand-built and chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said increasing the size of the leather shop team allowed the firm to reintroduce craft skills which may otherwise have lain dormant or been lost completely.
He added: “If production continues at the current rate, and all indicators at this stage are positive, we will need to enlarge the team further in due course.”
