Toyota’s US$ 318 million expansion in Sorocaba will be supported by Investe SP
The factory will receive equipment to produce the company’s new car, Yaris, starting at the second semester of 2018
Investe São Paulo
In September, 25th, Toyota Brazil held a ceremony in its plant located in Porto Feliz. The event aimed to announce the company’s two big new projects in the country: an investment of about U$ 190 million* for the extension of the engines production unit in Porto Feliz, already announced last year, and the investment of U$ 318.4 million * for Sorocaba’s factory.
The investment in Porto Feliz will help the manufacture of thrusters for other Toyota’s vehicles produced in the country after the second semester of 2019. Sorocaba’s unit will be prepared to produce Toyota’s newest car, Yaris, for the Brazilian market with sales expected to begin in the second semester of 2018.
The new project in Sorocaba will be the sixth one of the company to be supported by Investe São Paulo. “The settling of the plant to produce Ethios was one of the first projects attended by the agency by the time of its creation. Our story and Toyota’s have walked the same line”, claims the agency director, Sérgio Costa.
Investe São Paulo is the investment promotion agency associated with the State Department of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation. The institution has been an important partner, specially regarding the relationship with the government and public organizations, environmental licensing, infrastructure and taxing matters and even providing strategical data.
Throughout these two investments, Toyota reinforces its commitment to contribute to both society and economy in Brazil, the entire Latin America and the Caribbean. Toyota’s engine plant also emphasizes the company’s goal to grow sustainably in the region, producing increasingly better cars.
“Big projects like this can only happen when everybody works together with one goal in mind. That is why I would like to thank the government, the trade unions, our employees, providers and finally our clients. The trust you put on us, the partnership and commitment, helped this investment in the new Yaris to happen and represents a stronger Toyota in Brazil. We have grown sustainably, increasing our portfolio and aiming a brilliant future for Brazil”, claims Steve St.Angelo, CEO of Toyota for Latin America and Caribean and Chairman of Toyota of Brazil and Argentina.
Motor factory in Porto Feliz
Opened in May, 2016, Porto Feliz’s plant produces flex fuel and Dual VVTi gas engines of 1.3L and 1.5L, that are part of the compact Etios, commercialized in Brazil and many countries in Latin America at a 872,500 m2 area. Creating about 320 direct and indirect jobs, with the enlargement and beginning of the production of new engines, about 200 job opportunities will be created in the complex.
Porto Feliz’s factory is the first engines production plant of Toyota in Latin America and Caribbean and it has the most advanced and innovative technology in its production process.
Porto Feliz’s plant, that has already received a U$ 184.7 million* investment in its first period, now has a total contribution of U$ 375,7* thousand with the expansion that has already started. Considered one of the most modern plants of Toyota in the world, it is one the first ones to concentrate all the three industrial processes inside one single area - foundry, machining and installation.
In this short period of existence, Porto Feliz plant has already counted with an important fact: in April of this year, less than a year after its opening, the factory hit the mark of 100 thousand units of Etios’ 1.3L and 1.5L engines made.
Yaris in Sorocaba
During the ceremony, it was also officially announced the production of Toyota Brazil’s new car: Yaris, with the estimative selling dates set for the second semester of 2018. For that, it will be invested U$ 318.4 million to buy the necessary equipment for Sorocaba’s plant, that will produce the vehicle together with the hatchback and sedan versions of Etios. Also, 300 direct and indirect jobs will be created with the arrival of the new product.
Sorocaba’s factory, that celebrated five years of existence in August and had an initial investment of about U$ 191 million, currently has 1,944 people working there and is considered an example of operations of Toyota in Brazil, as it contains parts of the most modern plants of the brand around the world.
With the expansion of its productive capacity of 108 thousand units per year, in January of 2015, Sorocaba’s factory attends an intern growing demand for Etios, besides exporting the product for many Latin-American countries. Nowadays, the Brazilian vehicle is commercialized in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica and Honduras.
Ecofactory
Besides the productive aspects, Toyota’s factory in Sorocaba was the first one of the brand in the country with the Ecofactory concept. Guided by this principle, the whole constructive project for the site adopted ecoefficiency concepts as a worldwide pattern, without impacting the town habitant’s lifestyle or bringing risks of environmental contamination.
With Toyota’s arrival, Sorocaba has gotten a huge contribution for the reforestation. In June, the company achieved an investment cycle of U$ 1,9mi for the construction and maintenance of Corredores da Biodiversidade Marco Flávio da Costa Chaves Natural Municipal Park (PNMCBio).
The commitment assumed by Toyota in the PNMCBio’s construction included, besides the recovery of native forest, marked by cerrado vegetation and at atlantic forest, the construction of buildings structural and physical areas for the environment education programs. Toyota is also responsible for the installation of a video monitoring digital security system and electronic alarms to access surveillance towers for the inspection of the park to detect possible fire problems, aiming the forest preservation.
“Today, we reinforce Toyota’s commitment with the development of the Brazilian automotive industry and with Brazil. Even in challenging times for the economy and the automotive sector, Toyota kept loyal to its commitment to invest in Brazil. This is an example of what we are doing, always thinking of a long-term perspective and in its sustainable growing of our business”, says Rafael Chang, Toyota’s President in Brazil.
Investment in Brazil
Throughout this decade, Toyota has brought big investments to Brazil, reinforcing its commitment for the development of the society where it is settled. With the recent confirmation of a U$ 318.4 million investment in Sorocaba’s plant, the company sums more than U$1.2 billion invested in Brazil since 2012.
| Year | Value $ | Investment* |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | (U$ 598 million) | Construction of Sorocaba’s plant (SP) |
| 2015 | (U$ 31 million) | Expansion of the productive capacity of Sorocaba’s factory for 108 thousand units per year |
| 2015 | (U$ 764 thousand) | Distribuition Center in Suape (PE) |
| 2016 | (U$ 184,7million) | Construction of Porto Feliz’s plant (SP) |
| 2016 | (U$ 22 million) | Project SBC Reborn (3 steps) |
| 2016 | (U$318million) | Expansion of Porto Feliz (producing new motors) |
| 2017 | (U$318million) | Preparation of Sorocaba’s unit for the production of Yaris |
| TOTAL | U$ 1,2 billion | |
About Toyota
Toyota do Brasil Ltda. has four manufacturing units: in Indaiatuba (SP), São Bernardo do Campo (SP), Sorocaba (SP) and Porto Feliz (SP), three vehicle distribution centers, in Guaíba (RS) and Vitória (ES) and Suape (PE), a distribution center of parts in Votorantim (SP), a representation office in Brasília (DF) and over 5,700 employees.
Founded in 1937, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is one of the most representative manufacturers of passenger and commercial vehicles in the world. With production in 28 countries and regions and sales in over 160 countries, the company is owner of the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. Toyota holds shares in the Stock Exchanges of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo (Japan), New York (USA) and London (UK) and currently employs more than 325,000 employees worldwide.