Volkswagen to increase daily production of cars in 23%
O Estado de S. Paulo
The President of Volkswagen do Brasil, Thomas Schmall, foresees sales of nearly 750 thousand units of the brand for this year, an increase of 5% compared to 2009, level that should be repeated in 2011 or stay little below it. The production should increase 8%, to 832 thousand units this year and the exports will grow 26%, to 156 thousand vehicles. Yesterday, the group opened the new painting area of the plant of São Bernardo do Campo, in the region of São Paulo called ABC Paulista, which will allow an increase of 23% in the daily production, from 1,300 to 1,600 units. The unit produces the Gol, Parati, Saveiro, Polo and Kombi. Adding the other plants, the productive capacity will be of 3,500 cars a day. For 2011, the group plans 23 launchings, between completely new models and redesigns, including imported cars.
The painting line is the one that requires greater investment in the productive process. The arrangements for the operation lasted one year, says Schmall. 11 robots have been acquired. The investment in the project is inserted in the R$ 6.2 billion (US$ 3.7 billion) plan announced by the group for the 2010-2014 period. The increase of the Anchieta unit, as it is called the oldest plant of Volkswagen in the country, is part of the project of the group to achieve annual sales of 1 million vehicles as of 2014. According to Schmall, that will represent 25% of the total market foreseen for that year.
Half of the 1.3 thousand employees the group hired in the country this year were allocated in the ABC unit, which employs 13.6 thousand people. Including the plants of São José dos Campos and Taubaté (SP) and that of São José dos Pinhais (PR), the group has 23 thousand employees.