TVS Motor Company Case Study
Creating the most advanced manufacturing facility in Norton’s 122-year history, the new UK base sees the iconic British motorcycle marque return to the West Midlands, where production originally began in 1902.
Bringing hundreds jobs to the region, the site provides a permanent central hub for all staff across the company’s design, engineering, purchasing, sales, marketing and support teams, as well as the skilled production team that is resuming manufacture of motorcycles.
The investment from parent company TVS marks the first step in its vision to secure a long-term future for Norton in the global automotive marketplace, following acquisition of the historic brand in April 2020.
Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director of TVS Motors, said:
“The opening of the new headquarters represents a significant step forward for Norton Motorcycles. The opening of this state-of-the-art facility will create the foundations for a sustainable long-term future of Norton. The new bikes will meet the world class standards our customers expect.
“This new facility underpinned by strong quality processes will produce bikes truly worthy of the illustrious Norton brand and take it into the future. We are setting out to create a future for the company, our employees, our customers and our partners that lives up to the highest expectations and enable Norton to once again become the real force its history deserves.”
Dr Robert Hentschel, CEO of Norton Motorcycles, said:
“Norton’s new HQ provides the most advanced manufacturing in the marque’s 123-year history – it forms a key part of strategic growth as both a business and a motorcycle marque – it will transform the marque into the exclusive industry-leading hand-crafted motorcycle maker. Now, Norton is ready to move to the next phase of its journey.”
Why the West Midlands?
Located close to Birmingham International Airport and at the heart of the country’s motorway and public transport network, the company’s new HQ is embedded within the region’s internationally-renowned cluster of automotive expertise, which is responsible for a third of all production in the UK.
Alongside Norton, the region’s roster of well-known heritage brands includes Lotus Cars, Aston Martin, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover – part of Indian conglomerate Tata Motors.
Underpinning this robust supply chain of industry heavyweights is a fertile landscape of academic-led innovation. Norton’s 30-year-long partnership with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) – part of the University of Warwick – provided an additional draw for TVS to select Solihull; the firm relished the opportunity to build on its longstanding relationship with the institution, which is committed to transforming engineering, manufacturing and technology-related industries through research, skills training and knowledge transfer.
As well as the reassurance of academic support, TVS benefitted from a suite of free services offered by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – the region’s official investment promotion agency – to help them settle into the region.
Tailored consultancy services on site selection and introductions to local business networks were provided, alongside advice from WMGC’s in-house communications team on PR and marketing activity to enhance awareness around the investment. Since landing in the region, the team continues to support the company’s growth journey through regular engagement and profile-raising opportunities in UK media titles.
West Midlands – India Corridor
The arrival of TVS is among a growing trend of leading Indian businesses choosing to invest in the region. Major firms including Tata Motors, Microland, Infosys and the Mahindra Group have also setup major operations in the West Midlands over the last decade, firmly establishing the region as a gateway to access opportunities in UK and European markets.
Recognising the potential of this emerging corridor, 2020 saw a new West Midlands India Partnership (WMIP) created to encourage trade, tourism and investment between the two geographies. Focused on driving mutual benefits for both the region and India, WMIP is bringing together the region’s businesses, universities and councils to develop collaborative opportunities for economic growth.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:
“This investment represents the start of an important partnership between the West Midlands and TVS Motors. With Tata-owned JLR also based in the region, the West Midlands has a good relationship with India that we are constantly looking to improve through the West Midlands India Partnership. This investment by Norton exemplifies what exactly we are trying to achieve with the partnership, and I am delighted to welcome the company back home.”
To find out more about how the region’s newly established West Midlands India Partnership is seeking to drive further bilateral benefits between the two territories, and hear from other leading Indian companies on why the West Midlands is the UK’s gateway for growth, click here.