Rolls-Royce starts building plant extension to cater to growing bespoke demand

LONDON: The construction phase of the new landmark extension of the Rolls-Royce headquarters at Goodwood has begun, with the pouring of the first concrete foundation pads on the site, next to the marque’s existing plant.

At over £300 million (RM1.7bil), the extension project is the largest investment Rolls-Royce has made since the plant opened in 2003.

The first pads have been installed on the northern elevation of the site, where the new paint shop would be located.

Contractors would now work their way southwards, creating a network of around 650 pads that form the foundations upon which the building would stand.

Opened in 2003, the original site was designed to blend into its natural surroundings in the West Sussex countryside.

As well as housing the new paint shop, the 40,000 square-metre extension would create more capacity for the company's highly profitable bespoke products.

This growth is fuelled in part by the company's network of so-called "Private Offices", which has expanded from the original at Goodwood to selected cities around the world such as Dubai, Shanghai, New York and Seoul.