ArvinMeritor plans to invest $ 30 million
Valor Econômico
The American autoparts manufacturer ArvinMeritor announces today an investment package of US$ 30 million in Brazil, aiming at expanding productive capacity, including a new factory of driveshafts (transmission systems) in Osasco (SP), the participation in the suppliers´ park, close to the unit of MAN in Resende (RJ), and the launching of new products in the Brazilian market.
The expansion takes into account the positive forecasts for the segment of trucks in the country - according to Sindipeças, domestic production should grow 32% in 2010 - and it is part of the global strategy of the company to concentrate the business in the commercial vehicles segment. According to sales and marketing officer of the company for South America, Silvio Barros, the resourses will be disbursed between 2010 and the end of 2011, when the suppliers´ park in Resende goes into operation. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, the German manufacturer MAN will invest R$ 250 million (US$ 139 million) to produce trucks with its own brand - today, the units leave the factory with the seal of Volkswagen.
In the project, which is carried out in partnership with Maxion and Suspensys (which owns 50%, in partnership with Randon group), ArvinMeritor plans to invest about US$ 10.5 million. The consortium estimates that the annual earnings could reach R$ 1 billion (US$ 556 million). Another US$ 15 million of the package will be invested in a new line of driveshafts, which comes into operation in the fourth quarter in the industrial complex of Osasco, and product launches in the domestic market. In São Paulo unit, ArvinMeritor has recently expanded the production of axles and opened 260 jobs, back to the number of employees it had before the crisis. The area of research and development will receive investments of US$ 5 million.
The optimism about the Brazilian operation, however, is accompanied by a very short-term concern: the capacity of delivery on the part of the suppliers, which are failing to meet the growing demand. According to Barros, the company is importing certain parts in order to be able to meet the company backlog. In this case, he assures, it is not the favorable exchange rate to the imported the main factor for the initiative. "Today our index is around 70%. It's hard to tell how it goes, but let's stay above 60% (provided by law)", says the officer. "But we believe this issue is specific for the moment and will be solved."