Spain - The number of cars made at the plant rose by 12.3% during the first quarter of 2018, reflecting the sales success of the Ibizia, Arona and Leon. As a result, the company is hiring an additional 250 people to work at the factory.
"As our commercial and production perspectives consolidate, once again we show that the SEAT workforce is growing with more open-ended contracts," stated SEAT vice president for human resources Xavier Ros. "We are proud that SEAT's excellent results are leading to more opportunities to generate quality employment and prosperity."
The plant is currently operating at 95% capacity, churning out 2,300 vehicles a day. It houses production of the Ibiza, Arona and Leon, as well as the Audi Q3. However, the latter model will be replaced by the Audi A1 during the second half of 2018.
SEAT recently invested €23m (US$27.86m) to automate one of the lines at the paint shop and install a new colour booth for painting the two-tone bodies of the Arona and A1. More plant investments could soon be made as sales of SEAT models continue to rise.
In 2017, the Leon and Alhambra achieved their highest ever sales figures, rising 2.9% and 1.7% year-on-year respectively. Sales of the Ibiza reached 152,000 units, marking a 0.6% increase.
