New production line for MAN trucks in Brazil

[MANV10]

New production line for MAN trucks in Brazil

Capacity for 5,000 MAN TGX und TGS trucks per year

Today a new production line for MAN trucks is being officially opened at the MAN Latin America plant in Resende, Brazil. Already successfully established in Europe, the MAN TGX and TGS ranges mark an addition to the top end of

MAN Latin America's truck portfolio.

The new assembly line is designed for a capacity of 5,000 heavy trucks per year. In the next few months test vehicles will be producd to start with so that the first vehicles ordered can be delivered in 2011 to three of Brazil's largest transport operators: Julio Simoes, Arcom and Binotto. In the first phase the Brazilian MAN trucks will contain units imported from Germany and be assembled in line with the SKD (semi-knocked-down) principle. In the medium term the aim is to raise the local content of production to at least 60 per cent.

Launched in 2007, the MAN TGX and MAN TGS truck ranges were voted "Truck of the Year 2008" by a renowned international jury. This made MAN Nutzfahrzeuge the first truck manufacturer ever to win this coveted distinction seven times. MAN is now launching the MAN TGX and TGS on the Brazilian market, thereby writing a new chapter of their success story – for the first time in South America. The MAN trucks will be sold in Brazil via the VW dealer network run by MAN Latin America.

By 2011 a supplier park too will be built in the immediate vicinity of the Resende plant. Here three partners of MAN Latin America – ArvinMeritor (axles), Maxion (chassis assembly) and Suspensys (suspension systems) – will have their own production facilities directly next to the MAN plant.

Investment in the production line and the supplier park amounts to 235 million BRL (just under 100 million euros). Altogether 800 new jobs will be created at Resende, 100 of these in the new production line for MAN trucks. Dr. Georg Pachta-Reyhofen, Spokesman of the Executive Boards of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge and parent company MAN SE, regards the investment as a further important step in the company's internationalisation: "Like our partnerships in China and India, MAN Latin America is of fundamental importance for our continued growth in the BRIC markets."

Only last month a third shift was introduced at the Resende plant to meet the strong demand for commercial vehicles in Brazil. Production capacity rose to 72,000 truck and bus chassis a year. "We are optimistic about the economic development in Brazil and believe there will be further growth in 2010. This is one item of proof that our country has overcome the effects of the global economic crisis," says the CEO of MAN Latin America, Roberto Cortes.

Sursa:http://www.man-mn.com/en/en.jsp