Porsche creates 2100 new jobs in Germany

Car manufacturer Porsche plans to generate 2100 new jobs over the next year at its factories in Germany, with the manufacture of its new Sport-Coupe Panamera model.

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The company's Head of sales, Klaus Berning told German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport, "Through the manufacture of our new model we will employ over 600 new staff members in Leipzig." A huge increase in staff at the company's factory in the eastern German state of Saxony. "The recruitment process is due to start any day now," said Berning.

A further 400 new jobs will be created at the Porsche plants in Zuffenhausen and Weissach in the western state of Baden-Württemberg by 2009.

Assembly of the manufactured parts of the four-door Panamera model will generate a further 600 employment opportunities across Europe.

Porsche's partner car manufacturer Volkswagen will also benefit from the new model, with 500 new employers being ear-marked for bodywork production and spraying of the cars once assembled.

The first full year of production in 2010 will see over 20 000 cars produced at the plant in Leipzig. A production number Berning hopes will rapidly increase.

"Just like other car manufacturers, we have a very flexible production goal, we have to see how the market responds." Berning told the Auto Motor und Sport magazine.

Speculation over Porsche producing a fifth series in the form of the ever more popular 4 x 4 range, following on from the Cayennemodel was dismissed by Berning who said, "That issue has not once been discussed at a managerial level. We are not counting the capacity of our models, and a new 4 x 4 model is not on the agenda. It's not the way Porsche wants to go right now."

The car giant doesn't see the dwindling US dollar as a major problem to the large US market and the possibility of the Panamera model being manufactured at VW plants in America could still go ahead. However, no definitive plans for state-side production have yet been made.

"There is as of yet no concrete plans: it also doesn't make much sense to assemble a car in the USA when the parts are being produced in Germany and the rest of Europe. Our motto: 'Made in Germany' works for us," said Berning.