With the support from Investe SP, Mercedes-Benz lays the cornerstone for the construction of a plant in Iracemápolis

Company invests more than R$ 500 million and builds its third plant in the state of São Paulo; Investe SP has been assisting the company since 2013

On February 5, the automaker Mercedes-Benz held the official laying of the cornerstone of another plant in São Paulo. This time, Iracemápolis was the city chosen to receive the company’s investment, which for two years has been relying on the assistance of Investe São Paulo, an investment promotion agency associated with the Department of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation of the State of São Paulo. The ceremony was attended by the governor, Geraldo Alckmin, the president of Investe São Paulo, Juan Quirós, the mayor of Iracemápolis, Valmir de Almeida, and the president of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil and CEO for Latin America, Philipp Schiemer, as well as businessmen and municipal, state and federal authorities.

An automaker that produces cars, buses, aircraft engines, trucks and other means of transportation, the company has been operating in São Bernardo do Campo, since 1956, and in Campinas, since 1979. Expected to start producing in January 2016, the unit in Iracemápolis receives an investment of more than R$ 500 million and will generate approximately 1,000 direct jobs. The plant will manufacture the GLA SUV and C-class sedan models, with the capacity to produce 20,000 vehicles per year.

The governor of the state of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, points out that the new plant of Mercedes-Benz will allow new investments in the region of Iracemápolis and especially the creation of jobs to the local population. “This project demonstrates the vitality of the industrial sector in São Paulo. The company will rely on the infrastructure of São Paulo and the skilled workforce of Brazilians who live here, in addition to the cooperation and continuous support from Investe SP,” said Alckmin.

After analyzing cities in states such as Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and Rio de Janeiro, Mercedes-Benz chose Iracemápolis because the city is strategically located in the Administrative Region of Campinas, among other reasons. For being only 153 km away from the state capital, the new plant will have greater access to the large consumer market and the logistics infrastructure network of the state.

“We believe in the growth potential of the Brazilian market. The plant in Iracemápolis proves our confidence in the country, even in times of instability, and the assurance that we will continue to invest in products that are increasingly in line with the customers’ desires,” said Philipp Schiemer.

Investe São Paulo has been assisting Mercedes-Benz since March 2013. “It took seven months of intensive work for Investe São Paulo to show that the state was the ideal option for the new plant. In addition, we provided all the support in the environmental, tax, infrastructure areas and also in the relationship with the public utilities and the mayor of Iracemápolis”, said Juan Quirós.

“I want to thank Investe SP. The seriousness and efficiency of this team are an example to other institutions,” said Valmir de Almeida.

Global leadership

With the new plant, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil will be the only automotive company to produce, in Latin America, trucks, buses, vans and cars. Schiemer also points out that the new Brazilian plant will join the global production network of Mercedes-Benz. “We are laying today, the first stone on the ground of our new plant, where national cars will be produced with the same quality of those made in Germany,” he said.

The plant in Iracemápolis is part of Mercedes-Benz strategy to become a global leader in premium car sales by 2020. Markus Schäfer, member of the Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management, who also attended the ceremony, explains that the new plant will have a decisive role in this global expansion, being a reference to other factories of the brand in terms of flexibility, efficiency and sustainability in the production process. “We are convinced: we will produce the right products to the right market at the right time,” said Schäfer.

The event was also attended by Dimitris Psillakis, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Cars and other members of the Investe São Paulo team - Ermínio Lucci, director of Investment Projects, Alexandre Marx, Project manager and José Pedro Fittipaldi, environmental specialist.

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