Nissan Sunderland Plant is one of the UK’s biggest car manufacturers. In 2016, the Plant was responsible for 507,000 of the 1.73 million cars that rolled off UK production lines. . One in every three new cars built in the UK comes from Sunderland Plant.
The factory has been operational since 1986 and currently employs around 7,000 people, with a further 40,000 in its supply chain. The cars are exported to over 130 different countries.
It is part of the European division of the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor Company Ltd. There are three main production areas – body assembly, paint, and final assembly - are fed by a press shop, castings plant, engine plant, axle plant, and a bumper moulding facility. A lithium-ion battery plant was recently built, to support introduction of electric vehicle production early next year. Many suppliers are also based within the Nissan facility, sharing line-side production areas.
The plant has been recognised globally as one of the most efficient manufacturing plants inEurope and a cornerstone of Nissan’s manufacturing worldwide. The site is also recognised as a pioneer in green technology, producing the Nissan Leaf, and committing to a £26.5 million investment to produce the future generation of electric vehicle batteries. The site is likewise embracing the latest developments in autonomous driving technology, which will next year make its way into the Qashqai.
The company places significant emphasis on its skilled workforce, offering career development programmes, graduate schemes, initiatives with schools and, of course apprenticeships.
During the visit, you will be taken on a comprehensive tour of this award-winning facility by a member of the Nissan team. You will be able to see first hand how the company has applied Lean and other continuous improvement practices.