Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has begun making its own press tools in-house for the first time, after a £1.7 million investment at the company’s plant in Halewood in Merseyside.

BBC News reports that the tools are part of the first stage of manufacture of car body panels for new vehicles during production. The parts were previously manufactured in Asia.

Niall Ford, JLR’s press parts manager, said that the investment brought a huge opportunity for toolmakers and apprentices to hone their skills.

Talking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Ford said: “We bring in large coils of steel, and then we unwind them and cut them into individual pieces and then we stamp them into the sides of our cars and the parts that go on the underside, so it’s quite a critical part of the business.”

He added that the Halewood plant has been in operation for nearly 60 years, and it has always had a large press shop, but the company had never actually made the press tools that make the parts.

“It brings on a huge opportunity to develop tool-making skills, so it’s great news for our apprentices and our toolmakers,” he said.

He said that moving the skills in-house was a pivotal moment following the transition of those skills to Asia, adding that “It’s fantastic news for the plant and the press shop.”

Jaguar Land Rover makes the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport at Halewood.

If you’re looking for Land Rover V8 engines for sale, track to us today.