58 | AutoPartsAsia | NOVEMBER 2017GLEANINGS International
Daimler To Revamp Brazilian Site
APA Bureau
D
aimler subsidiary Mercedes-
Benz do Brasil will be
investing around 600 million
euros into its commercial
vehicle business in Brazil over the
next five years. The investments
are going into modernisation of the
product line-up, digital services, and
into the two biggest production plants
in São Bernardo do Campo, and Juiz
de Fora. By 2022, both plants are
going to meet the highest production
standards to be even more efficient
and competitive. Daimler has been
investing around one billion euros
into its Brazilian production site since
2010.
Martin Daum, Member of the Board
of Management of Daimler AG,responsible for Daimler Trucks
& Daimler Buses, said: “Our
commitment to Brazil remains strong
and we continue to invest into our
regional market presence. Almost half
of all commercial vehicles on Brazil’s
streets are older than 20 years. These
vehicles must be replaced. We will
be ready when the market comes
back. With investing around 600
million euros, we are preparing for the
future.”Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-
Benz Trucks, said that “the Brazilian
market remains weak, but our
products are strong. We have been
able to expand our market share in
this challenging market”.Despite a declining commercial
vehicle market in Brazil, Mercedes-
Benz do Brasil has improved its
market position in the truck and van
business with an interim market share
of 29.4 percent, an increase of 0.7
percentage points, in comparison to
the same period in the previous year.Mercedes-Benz products from Brazil
are gaining increasing popularity in
foreign markets. This year, Mercedes-
Benz do Brasil exported 10,000
commercial vehicles, an increase of
27 percent in comparison to the same
period in the previous year. Around
6,000 trucks also were exported, up
42 percent. The export of bus chassis
picked up 15 percent to around 4,300
units.IAC Plant For Tailored Interiors In Poland
APA Bureau
I
nternational Automotive
Components (IAC), a leading
supplier of premium automotive
interiors, has opened its state-
of-the-art plant for tailored interiors
in Opole, Poland. The new location
will serve as the company’s centre
of excellence for highly crafted
cut-and-sewn and hand-wrapped
components, starting with premium
instrument panels. It will create about
550 skilled jobs in the region.IAC has
invested more than $20 million (USD)
into the new location.“From a strategic point of view, Opole
is an ideal location for us. Eastern
Europe continues to be a strong
growth region for the automotive.
At this new location, we can focus
on our first-class manufacturing
skills and serve our premium
customers across Europe,” Jonas
Nilsson, President European Region,
International Automotive Components
Group, said. “We are in the process
of recruiting a large, skilled workforce
who share IAC’s passion for quality
and superior customer service indelivering our stylish, premium
products that go into some of the
most successful Scandinavian
vehicles around the globe.”“Tailored, highly crafted interiors
are, and will continue to be, core to
our product portfolio. Our research
shows that the demand for wrapped
interior components using leather,
artificial leather, and premium textiles
will grow substantially to support the
consumer’s desire for a personalized
driving experience,” Marcus
Nyman, Senior Vice President
Global Strategic Development,
International Automotive
Components Group, said.“This is especially true for the
premium vehicle segment, in
which IAC has its strength. As we
move towards fully autonomous
vehicles, individual flexibility of
the interiors is expected to drive
demand for handcrafted solutions
and integrated electronic functions
in interior components. That is why
we expect an increase in wrapped
products globally by 38 percent
from 6 million parts to about nine
million in the next three years,” he
IAC Opole Grand opening last October said.