Lotus to take on extra engineers in Norfolk

Engineers in Norfolk have been given a boost by the news that luxury car manufacturer Lotus is ramping up its operations in the region, and will take on a number of new staff in a bid to achieve its goals. The company is set to create 45 specialist engineering jobs, as well as 40 manufacturing experts, while at the same time improving its graduate scheme and hiring 18 young academics who have only recently left university. Lotus currently has new owners in DRB-Hicom, which bought its parent firm Proton in 2012. DRB-Hicom has now suggested that this investment has allowed it to go ahead with plans for growth and it is now inviting applications for the roles. Aslam Farikullah, chief operating officer at Lotus, said: "It's been a period of substantial change at Lotus and we are now in a strong position to expand our work on future products and to increase production in our manufacturing facilities. We want Lotus to be at the forefront of the global automotive industry and for us to remain competitive, we will introduce more exciting products." Sales at Lotus are said to be significantly higher in 2013 than they were in previous periods, with between 40 and 45 cars being made each week at its headquarters in Hethel, reports the Norfolk Eastern Daily Press. About 85 per cent of these vehicles are created in Norfolk with the intention of them being exported to other markets. In the five months to May, the prestigious manufacturer recorded 80 sales in the UK, in comparison to just 70 in the whole of last year. It has also sold 722 cars around the world over the same time. Lotus is now taking on a raft of new staff in a bid to cope with what it has described as increasing demand for its products from around the world. It will also make significant attempts to move into brand new markets over the months and years to come, potentially driving its expansion project.