STEZZANO, Italy – Brembo S.p.A. has announced it will make a total investment of €115 million (approximately $151 million) in North America to expand the Homer industrial hub in Detroit, Mich., and in Brazil, to move and step up production at its current plant in São Paulo. These investments, expected to take place from 2013-’15, are in line with the Group’s development strategy aimed at strengthening the productive capacity in the areas where customers are demanding a greater product volume and a higher service level, Brembo says.
 
In the United States, the investment will total €83 million ($109 million), thus significantly increasing the productive capacity of the Homer industrial hub. Brembo stated that the expansion of the plant has become necessary after the acquisition of new businesses and an increase in market share with its main North American customers, including Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. This initiative is expected to enable the subsidiary Brembo North America Inc. to double its sales, going from €178.5 million for 2012 to about €350 million for 2015.
 
In Brazil, €32 million ($42 million) will be used to move the current plant from São Paulo to Santo Antonio de Posse (north of São Paulo), where a larger and more modern plant will be put into operation, enabling the company to meet its growing production requirements. In addition, the subsidiary Brembo do Brasil Ltda. is thus expected to increase its sales by about 100 percent in the three-year period, going from €66.6 million for 2012 to about €130 million for 2015.
 
“Brembo’s investments in the Americas support two important areas that continue to perform dynamically and show positive market trends and that are marked by a gradual increase in demand for our products," said Group Chairman Alberto Bombassei. "The company must continue down the path of internationalization and, in parallel to these measures, it will continue to plan investments not only in expanding markets such as China, India and Eastern Europe, but also in Italy where, although the automotive crisis unfortunately is not showing clear signs of a reversal of the current recessionary trend, we have continued to invest, from 2008 to the present, at a rate of over € 40 million a year.”