Caunton Engineering have been working throughout the summer of 2006 at Honda‘s Plant at Swindon contributing to the impressive expansion plans of what is now the UK’s largest car manufacturer. Caunton is no stranger to this location having been working there regularly, to a greater or lesser extent, for the past four years.

Honda Motor Europe Ltd. had announced Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd., (HUM), European auto manufacturing entity in Swindon, UK, intends to increase its rate of production to a quarter of a million units per year within 2007. In order to meet this increase, HUM plans to add 700 new jobs

The 250,000-unit annual output represents a full capacity utilisation at HUM. The plant up to now has operated at about three-quarters of its maximum capacity, with one of its two production lines running two shifts while the other line running only one shift. The extra production volume will be created by adding a second shift to the second production line.

This requirement for extra production is resulting mainly from the unprecedented European demand for the all-new Civic 5- and 3-door models, which are manufactured exclusively by HUM. In addition, the all new Honda CR-V, which made its world debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, will be built in Swindon to supply primarily the European region from January 2007, further necessitating additional output at HUM.

Speaking at a media conference at the Paris Motor Show, Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said, "We plan to increase output of both the CR-V and the Civic in our Swindon, UK plant from next spring, taking Swindon up to its full capacity of 250,000 units on a yearly basis, within 2007.”

HUM already employs 4,200 associates. Bringing a further 700 new associates to the operation and utilising the maximum capacity will allow Honda to achieve its full production potential in Swindon.

Honda celebrated 20 years of its Swindon operation earlier this year and is able to achieve this next phase of development with increased efficiency and without the need for any further investment in plant infrastructure to the £1.33 billion already invested by Honda.

Caunton have been pleased to have been very much part of this development. The company has been helping extend Honda’s production by supplying and erecting the steelwork for several projects - an extension to the Production Plant, the framing for a new PO (plastic operations) building , and two major gantry bridges.

The photograph shows erection well underway.