High demand motivates adjustments in shifts
Valor Econômico 07/27/10
Even though the economy has begun showing signs the expansion in the second half may not repeat the strong pace featured in the first months of the year, companies of different sizes, in the areas of civil construction and related to the car industry, had to make adjustments in the production shifts to meet the additional orders. At BASF Suvinil and at the Division of car paints of DuPont, there are plants operating 24/7. Randon resumed the third shift and at MWM International Motores the employees will receive part of the salary that was not paid at the time of the shorter hours due to the strong performance in the first half.Adjusting the shift is the first measure to increase the use of the installed capacity, since projects of expansion and new plants have longer period of maturation, are more expensive and definitive. That is the case of DuPont, which implemented a "special" scheme in critical areas for the production of car paints, such as pigment dispersion and color development. "Some of the areas of the plant of Guarulhos (SP) are operating at full capacity", explains the Director of the DuPont Automotive Systems Division in Latin America, Antonio Carlos Oliveira.
The industry of building materials is also growing at a strong pace and, in order to meet the demand, it is increasing the productivity. According to a survey of the Abramat (Brazilian Construction Materials Industry Association), the manufacturers are operating at 87% of the productive capacity. Early last year, the companies operated at an average capacity of 78%. "The current level is an average; there are several industries operating at near 100% of the capacity", says Melvyn Fox, President of the entity. Four years, the Abramat has been making a survey with nearly 50 companies to determine the intention of new investments in the short and mid terms. A total of 76% of those surveyed stated they are already investing or want to invest in the increase of the capacity. "Historically, it is the highest level of investment intentions ever detected by the survey", says Fox.