27.09.2012

Cameron opens new JCB factory

British prime minister David Cameron officially opened JCB’s new $100 million factory in Brazil today.

Cameron - who is undertaking a trade mission to Brazil - spent an hour touring the 32,000 square metre plant in Sorocaba City in São Paulo State viewing the processes involved in the production of the telescopic handlers, backhoe loaders, tracked excavators, wheel loading shovels and compaction equipment which the factory will manufacture.
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Prime Minister David Cameron during his tour around the new factory in Brazil

JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford and JCB Brazil managing director Carlos Hernandez showed the him around and he also met many of the plant’s 200 employees.

Cameron said: "JCB's expansion in Brazil shows how British companies can capitalise on the opportunities for growth in Brazil, creating new opportunities in its factories in Derbyshire and Wales. This is a great example of Britain’s engineering prowess and reflects that the UK is a world leader in innovation and technology.”

Bamford added: “South America represents a huge opportunity for growth and our investment in a new factory is critical to building on the success we already enjoy in this important market. There are £20 billion worth of infrastructure improvements scheduled in Brazil and the new factory will enable us to capitalise on those projects, including the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.”
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Sir Anthony Bamford (R) with Prime Minister David Cameron on the excavator production line in Brazil

“Our decision to invest is a big vote of confidence in the Brazilian economy and was driven by the excellent long-term growth opportunities both here and in Latin America. Our investment will also have a positive impact on the UK economy because at full capacity, the Brazilian plant will import £100 million of components annually from the UK including engines and transmissions.”

At full capacity, the new plant has the capability to produce 10,000 machines a year. The new factory replaces two smaller plants in Sorocaba, the first of which opened in 2001 to produce backhoe loaders and the second in 2010 to produce tracked excavators. At $100 million, the new factory represents one of the biggest single investments in JCB’s 67 year history.