Eaton to focus higher productivity and technology
Valor Econômico 04/06/2009
The CEO of Eaton Corporation, Alexander M. Cutler, said the company businesses in Brazil, in the car segment, were not affected by the world crisis, due to the tax incentives of the Government. The exports, on the other hand, registered a significant fall, but the officer preferred not to disclose the figures. According to Cutler, who was in Brazil last week mainly to evaluate the extension of the impacts of the crisis in the operations Eaton has in the country, except for the car sector, the company foresees a retraction of 10% in sales in 2009.
Eaton is a global leader in technology of electric components and energy management systems. The investments in Brazil and in the world, according to Cutler, are concentrated in new technologies, which currently represent 3% of the total sales of the group, which, in 2008, amounted to US$ 15.4 billions. According to him, Eaton also foresees continuous expansion of its operations in the world through acquisitions, which were 48 in the last seven years. In 2008, it concluded six acquisitions and one joint-venture, aimed at the electric, aerospace and hydraulic sectors. In the last five years, according to the officer, the operations of Eaton in Latin America had been registering yearly average growth of 23% a year, reaching total sales of US$ 1.4 billion in 2008. Besides Brazil, Eaton is present in Mexico and Argentina. In Brazil, it has plants in Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, São Paulo, Guarulhos, Guaratinguetá, Valinhos, Mogi Mirim and Caxias do Sul. The automotive division is concentrated in São José dos Campos and produces admission and escape valves for engines of internal combustion of passenger cars, trucks, buses, agricultural machines and off-road machinery. Another focus of operation is the area of management systems for clean, efficient e cost-effective energy. "In the car sector we use this system to reduce the consumption of fuel and in the electric division to reduce energy consumption". In the aerospace sector, with sales of US$ 1.8 billion, Embraer is the biggest client. It supplies hydraulic, electric and control systems, through the units in Europe and North America.