Governor Jorginho Mello visited this Monday, the 17th, the BMW factory in Araquari and participated in the event that marked the start of production of the X1 SUV. The new BMW X1 starts to be produced in Brazil just six months after its launch in Europe and is among the most modern and technological vehicles produced in the country.

“I am very happy to be here as governor. BMW is the face of Santa Catarina, a state that invests more and more in technology. We created the Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation because we want to live in an increasingly technological state, also investing in the qualification of our workers. May we provide and applaud the arrival of new industrial plants like this one in Araquari”, he highlighted.

Maru Escobedo, president and CEO of BMW Group Brazil, highlighted that the new model represents the most modern in the BMW Group globally. “The Araquari Plant is of fundamental importance for our commercial operations and for our customer-focused strategy. It allows us the flexibility and agility to meet demands quickly,” he said. According to Escobedo, the rapid national production shows how the country is strategic for the brand in Latin America. In addition to the new X1, the Araquari factory is also responsible for producing the 3 Series, the X3 and the X4.

Otávio Rodacoswiski, general director of the Araquari plant, said that the unit will complete 9 years in 2023, producing Premium vehicles with the same quality found in other BMW Group plants around the world. We are the largest producer of Premium vehicles in South America, the result of a total investment of around BRL 1.8 billion since 2014, and we plan for this year to increase production volume to meet Premium market demand. for BMW products”, he added.

Production line

Accompanied by the State secretaries of Industry, Commerce and Services, Silvio Dreveck; of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marcelo Fett; of Civil Protection and Defense, Colonel Armando, and of Foreign Affairs Secretary, Juliano Froehner, Governor Jorginho Mello toured the facilities and got to know the production line, from the bodywork area, where the components and panels are welded to form the monoblock, to the assembly line. The governor also followed the tests of operation of the machines and the work in the quality line, which certifies that the vehicle complies with the manufacturer’s standards.

“The state’s logistics infrastructure, ports and human capital only made BMW grow and this proves the excellence of Santa Catarina as the right state for international capital investments. The factory, in addition to strengthening our business internationally, reinforces our commitment to the country”, highlighted Silvio Dreveck.

Marcelo Fett said that Santa Catarina is already a world reference “for the dreams that are produced at the factory in Araquari”. “We want the State to be more technological and produce more and more products at the BMW level of excellence”, he said.

Juliano Froehner highlighted that the fast start of production of the new model in Araquari demonstrates that Santa Catarina presents quality, efficiency, technology, workforce and capacity at a global level. “Santa Catarina has a mindset alignment with BMW. When CEO Maru Escobedo says the future is electric, digital and circular. We want to make it our present right now,” said Froehner.

The BMW factory in Araquari

The German automaker’s factory is the only one in Brazil and is also co-headquarters, together with the company’s office in São Paulo, of the only BMW Group Global Engineering Center in South America.

The plant in Araquari has a total area of 1.5 million square meters, of which 112,893 square meters are built area. The local infrastructure hosts complete automotive production processes with bodywork, welding, painting, assembly and logistics areas, as well as laboratories, administrative and auxiliary buildings.

Production capacity is 32,000 vehicles per year and there are around 1,000 employees in the BMW Group Brasil, including the factories in Araquari, Manaus and the office in São Paulo.

Photo and text: Secom