McLaren Automotive

McLaren Automotive, the new high-performance sports car company based at the McLaren Group headquarters in the UK, today announces that Singapore-based businessman Peter Lim has completed a significant investment in the company. Lim, a successful business leader and philanthropist in Singapore, joins the McLaren Automotive Board of Directors with immediate effect.

With Peter Lim’s investment, McLaren marks another major milestone in its global growth strategy. The introduction to the McLaren Automotive board of an influential and well respected partner in Asia will strengthen the company’s corporate and trading influence in the region at a time of encouraging demand for the company’s first ‘pure’ McLaren sports car, the MP4-12C. Demand is strong with the retailers in the Asia-Pacific region confirming orders that account for around 18 months of production.

Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group said:  “On behalf of the McLaren Automotive board, I welcome Peter Lim to McLaren and look forward to working closely with him as our company expands into the Asia region.

“This is a very exciting time for us and, as part of our growth strategy, we have been absolutely rigorous in ensuring that the right partners join us;those who are focused on supporting McLaren Automotive through investment that generates strong returns and strategic growth for the future. Peter Lim’s track record in Asia as a highly respected business leader adds further quality to our board in this highly competitive business environment at an exciting time for the company.”

With the launch of the first in the range of McLaren sports cars, the MP4-12C, through a brand new global retail network, McLaren is establishing itself as the world’s most exciting new sports car company. McLaren Automotive is focused on the development of a range of innovative, technologically ground-breaking, and bespoke high-performance sports cars, hand-built in a brand new manufacturing facility (the McLaren Production Centre) at its UK headquarters, and full of Formula 1-inspired technologies and development processes.

McLaren Automotive is designing, developing, and manufacturing a range of exclusive and premium ‘pure’ McLaren sports cars; selling and servicing the range through its global network of dedicated McLaren retailers. An initial network of 35 experienced retailer partners with a reputation for excellent customer service, and a passion for McLaren’s vision, will represent McLaren across 19 countries worldwide in 2011, including Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. McLaren Automotive has started distributing the first MP4-12Cs to retailers and customers in the UK and mainland Europe, with distribution in the Asia-Pacific region anticipated from late-2011. The retail network is set to expand conservatively from 2012, including further growth in the Asia region.

The Company Partners with Singapore’s A*STAR Data Storage Institute; The R&D Center is an Extension of the Company’s Worldwide R&D Capabilities
 

WD Logo

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 2nd March 2011 – Western Digital announced today that it has established a research and development center in Singapore, where the company will leverage the local talent pool and expertise of research organizations, such as Singapore’s A*STAR Data Storage Institute (DSI), and universities in the development of advanced hard drive technologies.  Located in Singapore Science Park, near WD’s newly acquired media manufacturing operation, the Western Digital Singapore HDD R&D Center is now operational. The company also announced that it is entering an agreement with DSI to collaborate on the development of advanced head, media and hard drive system design.

The proliferation of content on personal computers, storage devices and social networks is driving demand for higher capacity hard drives and the advanced science and engineering behind them. WD’s focus for the new center is the development of future solutions for hard drive recording heads and media, system design and manufacturing processes. An estimated 65 research engineers will be hired within the next three years.

“Singapore has built a wealth of engineering talent, now available to WD,” said Tim Leyden, WD chief operating officer. “This is a product of a supportive government, R&D resources from DSI and universities, and a long history of hard drive industry manufacturing and engineering operations in the country. The resulting environment has produced an advanced technology research and human resource culture that makes Singapore an ideal location for WD investments.”

“DSI is very pleased to be collaborating with WD. I believe we will be able to add value to one another, further pushing the limits of drive technology and bringing about new and advanced storage solutions to the industry,” said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, executive director of DSI.

WD will have invested S$500 million (approximately $390 million USD) in Singapore over the next five years, including its recent media plant acquisition, capital equipment for capacity expansion and technology enhancements and the HDD R&D Center.

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