11:21 am, January 17, 2025
New year, new me. It’s a January mantra we’ve all heard countless times down the years but for Ineos it could just be coming true in 2025.
That is because, after months of delays, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s car building operation has finally resumed production at its plant in Hambach, France.
The lines ground to a halt last summer, just days after seat manufacturer Recaro filed for bankruptcy and the plant has been mothballed ever since.
However, in November, Ineos announced that production would resume in the opening month of this year.
That has now happened and work is back underway building the brand’s Grenadier and Quartermaster models for delivery to customers across five continents.
Bosses say the resumption has come after ‘the resolution of a critical shortage of seats’ as they insisted the outfit was ‘up for the challenge’ of catching up for lost time.
Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive, said: ‘This is a great start to the year for us, one I strongly believe will be our best yet and will build on the more than 40% growth year over year we achieved in 2024.
‘We are so proud to have more than 20,000 Grenadiers on the roads and trails around the world.
‘Significant new markets like Mexico and China created incremental demand just when we had to hit pause on the production line, so it is heartening to already hear the familiar “toot” as vehicles roll through the quality check lines again.
‘We’ve got some catching up to do, but we’re up for the challenge.’
The first vehicle off the line came yesterday (Jan 16) with a Scottish White Utility Wagon (5-seat) destined for southern France.
That was followed by a pair in Devil Red – a bold, new exterior colour, and bosses have thanked customers for their patience.
Philippe Steyer, president of Ineos Automotive SAS, said: ‘We are very grateful for the patience of our customers, suppliers and production teams as we worked through a difficult situation.
‘We are very proud of our Hambach facility, it is testament to the grit and rigour that underpins INEOS, reopening the doors ready to build on the solid foundations laid last year.’
David Bailey, professor of business economics at the Birmingham Business School, previously wrote about Ineos’s situation for Car Dealer. You can read the full piece here.
