Mitsubishi expands UK port operation as new vehicle sales soar

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is investing £4 million to expand the capacity of its vehicle import centre at Royal Portbury Dock, Bristol. An area the size of 15 football pitches will soon accommodate an additional 2,300 vehicles, creating 15 new jobs. The company has now committed total investment of £48 million to the facility which employs 60 staff.

The Mitsubishi Import Centre is a vital part of Mitsubishi UK’s logistic pipeline with the company’s manufacturing plants in Japan and Thailand. The unique facility which allows for final assembly of vehicles to UK specification now has an expanded capacity of 9,000 vehicles.

Every UK vehicle passes through Mitsubishi’s import centre and is finished to individual customer specifications. This can include any number of operations from the fitment of leather seats and changes to interior trim, to fitting of tow bars or the complete conversion of vehicles to commercial use. Just-in-time configuration of vehicle specifications in this manner makes it possible to order stock in larger volumes more economically and shorten customer lead times.

The new investment to expand the company’s operations is necessary to keep pace with growing sales. Business is up 32 per cent on last year according to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The new Outlander PHEV is driving the growth. The ground breaking vehicle is now the UK Government’s Plug-in Car Grant best seller, accounting for 43% of successful applications.

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK employs 220 staff at its head office in Cirencester. The business supports the employment of around 2000 staff at UK dealerships and service centres.