Japanese manufacturer specialized in plastic, rubber and led chooses São Paulo for its first factory in Latin America
Toyoda Goseis plant in Itapetininga will manufacture various products, , aiming to expand the companys market share
GDBR, a Japanese manufacturer of plastic, rubber and led products to various industries in 17 countries, chose the state of São Paulo for the installation of its first plant in Latin America. Aiming to expand its market share, Gosei do Brasil - GDBR , a Toyoda Gosei subsidiary, will create around 150 jobs at the startup phase of the production, in an area of 220 thousand m² in the city of Itapetininga, located about 180 km from the State capital. The decision for bringing the company to Brazil was based on the ongoing evolutions in the car markets of South America, besides the consumer tastes for luxury models in consumer durable goods.
Neatly R$ 90 million will be initially invested in the project, which has been assisted by Invest São Paulo since April 2012. “We helped the company finding a suitable place for the establishment of the new factory. Currently, GDBR is receiving the agency’s support for obtaining environmental licenses and for contacting public utilities companies to obtain the proper infrastructure for the magnitude of the plant.”, explained the Investe SP’s president, Luciano Almeida.
Initially, the new plant will only produce rubber and plastic products for the interior and exterior of cars, such as safety systems and weather strips. The first GDBR costumers will be Argentine and Brazilian Toyoda factories, besides the Brazilian Honda one. However, the company is open to expand its production portfolio for other sectors, selling to electric, machinery, medical equipment and other industries.
“Toyoda Gosei’s group is working to expand its client base all over the globe. As the automotive sector in Latin America has grown considerably in recent years, we decided this is the perfect time to invest in the region. Coming to Brazil also allows us to meet more promptly the expectations of our costumer’s established in these neighbor countries”, said Takeshi Fujiwara, responsible for the project’s implementation. According to him, the company's goals is to expand, by 2020, the annual sale to R$ 100 million per year.
Fujiwara explained that Itapetininga’s location, with easy access to customers, suppliers, aiports and Santos Port, was underlying in the choice of the city for the investment. The availability of qualified labor in town and the strong support from the municipality was also a decisive factor. After all, it is expected that only the president and vice-president of the company will be Japanese expatriates. All other employees are planned to be local.
“Toyoda Gosei strongly believes that the momentum of Itapetininga and the qualified people who will work in the new factory will be a great contribution for the reinforcement of the company as a global supplier. It is our goal to establish ourselves in the region in a context of good corporate citizenship, bringing happiness and pleasure to all of our direct and indirect customers all over the world”, concluded Fujiwara.
About Gosei do Brasil
The word Gosei, or "gossei", as it is pronounced by the Japanese people, means "synthetic" in the native language of the company. With approximately 27 thousand employees in 46 units installed in 17 countries, Toyoda Gosei group develops technologies and products made of polymer, rubber and optical semiconductors. Optical semiconductors are the main components of LED lamps.
The company’s goal is to contribute to the development of a society that emits less carbon and is less dependent on oil, creating items increasingly lighter and more efficient energetically.
Toyoda Gosei has emerged as a division of rubber research and development for the group companies. It became an independent enterprise in the 40s. Nowadays, with its expertise in chemistry, the group also produces for the electricity, telecommunications, machinery, and medical equipment industries, among others.