BMW stops Dutch car production, politics speaks of a hard blow...

The BMW Group will stop car production at VDL Nedcar at the end of 2023. The German manufacturer and the mother company of the factory, the Eindhoven VDL Groep, confirm this on Thursday.

The company was informed last Wednesday, after which the staff were informed that same day. VDL Nedcar is now looking for new clients.

“This decision is a disappointment for us and our employees at VDL Nedcar, who are working with great dedication to build fantastic cars. We have done everything to keep BMW with us for more than ten years with a new follow-up order. unfortunately not to win this competition “, says Willem van der Leegte, CEO of the VDL Groep.

At VDL Nedcar, the BMW Group not only has the BMW X1 built, but also the MINI Countryman and the MINI Convertible. At the moment, the factory employs about five thousand people, which has a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year.

Wiebes: ‘Setback for the regional economy Limburg’

Politicians have also responded to BMW’s decision through Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate. “In the first place, this is a hard blow for the approximately five thousand employees of VDL Nedcar in Born. For them a period of uncertainty has started. This is also a setback for the regional economy of Limburg”, says Wiebes.

The minister adds that the cabinet will “fully cooperate” in the search for new clients, by deploying embassies and consulates, as well as the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA).

FNV-Metaal director Ron Peters calls the decision “dramatic news” and a “huge blow” to the region. “Our primary concern now is to maintain calm and tranquility and to urge Nedcar to intensify the search for a new model / client”, says Peters.

Finally, a spokesperson for VDL reports that BMW’s decision is “disappointing”, but that there is no other option than to respect it. “We are now energetically looking for new clients, in order to guarantee employment as much as possible.”