08/12/2008 15h27
Mercedes-Benz plans investing US$ 955.4 mi until 2011
Valor Econômico - 08/12/2008
Mercedes-Benz announced yesterday to the federal government and to the government of the State of São Paulo a program of investments of R$ 1.5 billion (US$ 955.4 million), the greatest made by a truck maker in the country ever. So far, the greatest volume of resources had come from
Volkswagen Caminhões (Trucks) that informed last December its intention to invest R$ 1 billion (US$ 637 million). Besides the increase of the productive capacity, in order to meet the growing demand for trucks, buses and components in the plant of São Bernardo do Campo (SP), the resources will also be used in a new logistics system. The company did not provide details on the new logistics model it intends to invest in. The choosing of the logistics operator and the format of the new model are still being defined. The company confirmed, however, the plan to outsource the logistics and the studies as for the possibility of using an area outside the plant where it set up its production 51 years ago. President of Mercedes-Benz for South America, Gero Hermann, informed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that the works will start in January 2009. The new production will supply the domestic and foreign markets. Notwithstanding not guaranteeing that the level of jobs will grow at the same level of the production, the officer recalls that, in the last 18 months, the maker hired between 1.2 thousand and 1.5 thousand new employees. "These numbers will certainty improve because we are speaking of an increase in the unit. We currently produce from 260 to 290 units/day. We will start producing something between 340 and 350 units/day", added the officer. The executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Ivan Ramalho, reminded this is the second great investment announced by a maker in Brazil recently. In mid July, Toyota announced the construction of a second car plant in Sorocaba (SP), with capacity to produce at least 150 thousand units a year from 2011 on.
