Nissan in Sunderland has been ranked the most productive car plant in Europe for the seventh year running by the World Markets Research Centre (WMRC), which publishes its 2003 European Automotive Productivity Index today.
The annual survey showed the Wearside plant produced 99 cars per employee in 2002*. This represents a 4% increase on 2001 when 95 cars per employee were produced.
The WMRC survey assesses the productivity of more than 40 passenger car plants, and Sunderland has remained top of its European league table since 1996 when it achieved a total of 73 car per employee.
Managing Director of Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) ltd, Colin Dodge, said: "I'd like to pay tribute to the skill and dedication of our workforce and the experience of the management team in maintaining Nissan's excellent productivity record.
"Last year was a challenging one for our plant with the launch of the new Micra and Primera as well as modifications to the Almera and the introduction of a whole new diesel range. The success of all these activities endorses the way Nissan builds cars not just in Sunderland, but world wide."
In the US, Nissan has topped the productivity table for the last eight years, and the Japanese plants consistently rank amongst the most productive in the world.
Colin added: "The manufacturing philosophy at Sunderland is the same as that adopted at Nissan's car plants across the globe. The 'Nissan Production Way' aims to be waste-free and quality driven and consistently delivers results.
"High productivity is the by-product of good manufacturing practice and how successfully you run the whole business, Nissan remains one of the best in the world at doing this. However, the skill and adaptability of our workforce remains the biggest factor in our success."
###
*Figures are calculated on the equivalent number of employees based around the operations considered to be essential for car manufacturing - this includes the press, body, paint, trim and final assembly areas of production. During 2002, Nissan's Sunderland plant averaged around 4,500 staff, with an equivalent workforce of 3,018 being used to calculate the productivity table.
A total of 297,719 Micras, Almeras and Primeras were built in Sunderland last year, making the plant the largest car producer in the UK for the last three years. Since the first Bluebird rolled off the line in 1986, the plant has produced more than 3.3 million cars.