Despite the sad news that Rover has gone into receivership, it seems that there is still something to celebrate in the UK automotive industry.

Remploy Automotive is planning on introducing high-quality leather car trim to its portfolio of products.

The firm’s Huddersfield factory has just completed a pilot batch of leather headrests for a UK-based car manufacturer, and the order could lead to Remploy Automotive entering a specialist field for the first time. Remploy Automotive already makes millions of items of cloth trim for car, van and truck makers. Ford, Peugeot, Jaguar, Land Rover, Honda and Toyota vehicles are all supplied by Remploy. But the move into leather is a significant step for the organisation, which has a specific textile business stream with factories in Derby, Jarrow and Huddersfield.

Simon Stott, operations manager of Remploy’s Automotive Textile factories, said: “Working in leather brings added demands and skill requirements, but we have demonstrated that we have the expertise and capability to produce sewn leather trim to the very highest quality standards.

“We are extremely proud of the pilot batch of leather headrests because the customer demanded high levels of finish and set precise tolerance levels. But we met all the challenges and have delivered.”

Remploy Automotive is part of Remploy Limited, the largest provider of jobs for disabled people in the UK. Last year it helped more than 12,000 people with a range of physical, sensory and mental disabilities to get work. Nearly all the employees of Remploy Automotive are disabled.

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