With the support from Investe SP, Wenger doubles production and brings pilot technical center to Brazil
Company started the construction works of the new plant, which includes an investment of R$ 35 million and covers 10,000 square meters with the possibility of expansion in the future
Investe São Paulo
On September 23, Wenger, a US manufacturer of extruders and food dryers, laid the cornerstone marking the beginning of the construction works of its new plant located in Valinhos. With the support from Investe São Paulo, an investment promotion agency associated with the Department of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, the company is investing R$ 35 million to double its production capacity and bring to Brazil a center for the demonstration and testing of extruded products for the food industry.
“The company’s decision to bring technology and innovation to Brazil shows its confidence in an economic recovery in the upcoming years. And this type of project could only take place in the state that has the best universities and research centers in Latin America,” said the president of Investe SP, Juan Quirós.
The general manager of the agency Wanius Ribeiro represented him during the ceremony, recalling the importance of the partnership with the municipality in this type of project. “The support from the municipal teams in the assistance provided to investors is crucial at a time of fierce competition like this. And Valinhos has been a great partner,” he said.
Wenger currently has 40 employees working at its plant in Valinhos, but the expansion should increase this figure to 80. The idea is to create in the country a support arm to the US headquarters, where all innovative tests and processes of the brand are currently conducted.
“We will nationalize the production of parts that used to be imported and streamline the testing process of some products launched by the food industry, which are processed in our equipment,” said the president of Wenger Brazil, Ed de Souza.
The company has recently extended its partnership with the State University of São Paulo (Unesp) in Jaboticabal for the development of projects in the poultry and swine nutrition area. But there should be other research initiatives in the region.
With the beginning of the construction works in September, the building that covers 10,000 square meters should be completed by April 2016 and the operations should begin in July. The area acquired covers 30,000 square meters, with sufficient space a for further expansion in the future.
The mayor of Valinhos, Clayton Machado, celebrated the company’s expansion and the announcement of new jobs. “Our government is open to receive new technologies. Only this year, this is the third company that announces the production of something new, which is not available in the Brazilian market. A law of municipal tax incentives, approved in April this year, has generated positive results,” he said.
About food extrusion
Extrusion is a process that applies mechanical and thermal energy during a short period of time, causing the pasteurization, which eliminates microorganisms and preserves the nutritional quality of foods. This results in changes in the shape, structure and composition which provides the extruded food its final appearance. The procedure is usually performed in breakfast cereals, vegetable proteins, such as texturized soy protein and feed for pets, fish and shrimps.
About Wenger
Wenger has extruders that have been operating in Brazil for more than 30 years. In 2003, the company founded in Valinhos the only unit that manufactures this type of equipment outside the United States, Wenger Brazil.
Headquartered in Kansas, the company was founded in 1935 with a family structure, and every year it undertakes to bring pioneering and innovative solutions to industries that use extrusion processes. In addition to its headquarters and the plant in Brazil, Wenger also has sales centers and technical support in various countries in South America, Europe and Asia.