Swaythling passenger cars in the UK, leaving the Southampton made Transit as their only British-made vehicle. In 2009, with the new Kocaeli, Turkey, plant in full production, Ford reluctantly halved production at Southampton and reduced the workforce to just over 500. Employing 500 workers, the factory produced up to 35,000 Transit chassis/cab variant vehicles annually, of which 50% were exported. The Ford Southampton plant closed on 26 July 2013. The very first branch of the DIY chain B&Q was opened in Swaythling in 1969. The shop was owned by Messrs Block and Quayle. Swaythling railway station is on the main line
Quinton Quayle took up this post in August 2007, succeeding David Fall, and was replaced in November 2010 by Asif Ahmad. Quayle spent a lot of time in his roles as Ambassador promoting trade and investment and worked very closely with the British Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (BCCT); his job directly before his posting to Bucharest was as International Group Director with UK Trade and Investment. He has also worked in the private sector for Price Waterhouse Management Consultants and VT Group. From 2011-16, he served on the boards of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, the Royal Institution of