This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New Rolls Royce plant in Renfrewshire
26/10/2004
The new £85 million Rolls Royce plant in Inchinnan in
Renfrewshire was officially opened today.
The state of the art engineering plant has been
supported by the Scottish government with the largest offer
of Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) since
devolution.
The £15 million offer helped stave off competition for
the facility from around the world and is now expected by
the company to safeguard up to 1,000 Scottish jobs.
First Minister Jack McConnell said:
"Rolls Royce is a company with a proud tradition of
engineering in Scotland. This new plant will ensure that
this tradition will continue in the future.
"Their commitment to Scotland is not just an endorsement
of our country, it is recognition of the skills, dedication
and excellence of our workforce.
"We have said that growing the economy is the number one
priority of our government in Scotland.
"I am clear that we can only do this if we continue to
make investments.
"Investments in companies so that they can continue to
work from Scotland; investments in infrastructure so that
they can work smoothly and efficiently and investments in
our greatest natural resource - our people.
"Working with Rolls Royce, we have shown what we can
achieve. We can retain high quality jobs in the face of
competition from around the world. We can attract the
brightest and best to our country. We can transform our
economy and our country."
Scottish Enterprise Chairman Sir John Ward said:
"It gives me great pleasure to attend the opening of the
£85 million state of the art Rolls Royce production
facility at Inchinnan.
"Scotland secured this investment, bringing a
substantial economic value added contribution and
safeguarding 1,000 jobs after beating off strong
competition from other locations including overseas.
"This new Scottish centre of excellence is setting new
global manufacturing standards for all other Rolls Royce
plants worldwide.
"I am pleased with the role that the highly skilled and
dedicated Hillington workforce, Scottish Development
International and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire have
played in winning this project."
RSA is the main national scheme of financial assistance
to industry.
It provides discretionary grants for investment projects
that will create or safeguard jobs in Assisted Areas -
areas designated for regional aid under European community
law. The scheme is administered by the RSA Scotland unit of
the Executive.
Payments of RSA are made in instalments, typically over
several years, provided that job and project expenditure
targets are met.
Since devolution, businesses in Scotland have accepted
offers of RSA totalling over £400 million from the
Executive.
Rolls Royce announced Inchinnan as the site of their new
engineering facility in June 2002.
At present the manufacture of Rolls Royce compressor
blades is being undertaken between Inchinnan and
Hillington, employing approximately 980 staff.
Over 400 staff have been transferred to the new site at
Inchinnan, with the remaining staff to be transferred by
2005.