Project Bulletin: December 19, 2023

WEG S.A. makes a new investment in Mexico, while expanding its Brazil and Colombia sites.

Photo courtesy of WEG

Brazil-based electric engineering, power and automation technology company WEG S.A. announced it would be investing $244.7 million to expand three of the company’s locations in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia over the next three years. Of that investment, $156 million will be used to construct a new 355,000-sq.-ft. power transformer factory on a site WEG acquired in Atotonilco de Tula, Mexico. This facility aims to meet current demand faced in North America, producing up to 550 kilovolts. The company’s sites in Betim and Itajubá, Brazil, will receive $40 million to add 50,000 sq. ft. and 506,000 sq. ft. of additional factory space, respectively. Lastly, over $38 million will go toward a new 248,000-sq.-ft. transformer factory in Rionegro, Colombia, located southeast of Medellín in eastern Antioquia, to increase local production capacity and service Central America and South American markets.

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National Resilience will continue to produce AstraZeneca products when operations begin.

Photo courtesy of AstraZeneca

National Resilience is investing $228.9 million to renovate the former AstraZeneca facility located in West Chester Township, Ohio. The biotech company acquired the 580,000-sq.-ft. building for $212 million in January 2023 and will continue to manufacture AstraZeneca products at the site. “We envision the West Chester site as our global center of excellence for commercial drug product manufacturing that will produce a wide range of life-saving medicines,” said National Resilience CEO Rahul Singhvi. “This partnership is an exciting step toward our mission of broadening patient access to complex medicines and protecting domestic biopharmaceutical supply chains.” The Ohio Tax Credit Authority awarded the project with a 1.9%, 10-year job creation tax credit for the creation of 274 direct new jobs over the next three years. In total the company anticipates bringing on 440 roles, the remaining 156 of which will be contracted employees.

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The company will produce four of its Fiat models in Algeria, the Fiat Doblò being one of the first.

Photo courtesy of Stellantis

Last week Stellantis began production at its 80-acre, $212.4 million manufacturing facility in Tafraoui, Algeria. The project, which was formally announced in 2022, aims to increase the company’s market share in the Middle East and Africa. Here Stellantis will produce four of its FIAT models, expecting about 90,000 vehicles per year by 2026, beginning with the Fiat 500 and Fiat Doblò. The company has created 500 jobs so far and is expected to reach 2,000 direct and 1,600 indirect jobs by 2026. This project aims to develop the country’s automotive industry in achieving a localization rate of 30% over the next five years. “Our Dare Forward 2030 plan envisioned Algeria being cemented into Stellantis’ regional future, and today we’re proud to have followed through on this plan by bringing Fiat brand to the country and providing great models to our Algerian customers through the manufacturing of the cars in Algeria,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “This is the beginning of a journey of growth and development for the benefit of the citizens of Tafraoui and Algerian customers. With today’s further announcement, we are poised to increase our commitment towards the country.”

Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore