AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – BorgWarner officially opened its new production facility and engineering center in Itatiba City, Brazil, on April 9. The new campus will produce several environmentally friendly technologies for passenger cars and commercial vehicles such as turbochargers, viscous fans and fan drives, engine timing systems and emissions technologies. At 204,500 square feet, the new facility northwest of Sao Paulo is twice as big as the company’s former facility in Campinas.
"With our new production facility and engineering center in Itatiba City, we are laying the foundation for expanding our excellent position as a leading supplier of advanced powertrain technologies in the rapidly growing South American market," said James Verrier, president and CEO, BorgWarner. "New legislation is driving automakers to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. Consumers are demanding performance and enhanced drivability. BorgWarner’s advanced technologies satisfy all of these needs with local production and engineering capabilities."
Driven by growing demand for BorgWarner’s fuel-efficient technologies, the new campus was built in only 18 months. Relocation of production capacity from Campinas to Itatiba City took place without any interruption in operations, according to the company.
BorgWarner says Itatiba City generates great interest with multinational companies because of its strategic location close to major development regions and the capital of the federal state, Sao Paolo. With a total area of nearly 100,000 square meters, the environmentally friendly campus offers additional space for future expansion and is expected to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification soon. In addition, the new campus includes an engineering center with four engine test stands for developing and introducing new technologies to provide local customers with the latest powertrain technologies.
