Marcopolo confirms Portuguese closure

Marcopolo, the biggest Brazilian bus-bodywork manufacturer, yesterday confirmed the closure of its factory in Portugal, inaugurated, as Marcopolo's first foreign subsidiary operation, back in 1990. The group will now have to supply much of Europe from Brazil. It closed one of its two Russian plants early this year in the light of a big dip in demand. Production at the Portuguese plant ended two weeks ago with the 170 employees sent off on collective holidays.

The Marcopolo installations in question are to be found in Coimbra; they produced 165 buses in 2008, the equivalent of just 0.8% of total company production (of 21,811 buses). In the first half of this year, the Coimbra factory produced just 58 buses. In February, Marcopolo began producing bodywork in India; in September, it will begin producing bodywork in Egypt. This will mean it has 13 plants operating in nine different countries in the final quarter of 2009.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
August 29, 2009

Goodyear Engineered Products Manufacturer Acquires Brazil's Leading Conveyor Belt Service Company

The world's No. 1 conveyor belt manufacturer and exclusive producer of Goodyear Engineered Products is expanding its conveyor belt installation, splice and repair service footprint into Latin America.

Veyance Technologies, Inc., has bought RCT Servicos de Vulcanizacao Ltda., based in Belo Horizonte about 600 kilometers or 350 miles north of Sao Paulo, subject to regulatory approval.

RCT is Brazil's leading conveyor belt service provider with several operations and more than 300 associates in the country's northern and southeastern regions. It will continue to use its name and provide conveyor belt installation, splicing, monitoring and repair services.

Goodyear-branded conveyor belts are the market leader in Brazil and Latin America.

Bringing together the region's leading conveyor belt supplier and service provider gives Veyance significant growth opportunities in Latin America, according to Renaldo Calderini, Veyance's vice president and general manager for Latin America. "The company will use the dual offerings to enter other markets," he said.

Calderini said the acquisition helps provide its distributors and their customers with comprehensive conveyor belt support. "The service complements our technologically-advanced conveyor belt products, splice kits and monitoring systems."

This is the third conveyor belt service acquisition announced by Veyance this year, including North America's Monk Mining Supply based in Virginia and National Belt Service based in Alabama that cover U.S. and Canada coal industry needs.

RCT has operated for more than 17 years. Previous owners Arthur Sternick and Marcio Alves de Oliveira will remain with the organization to ensure consistency of customer support.

Veyance's mining industry support reaches back to the first Goodyear-branded conveyor belt produced in 1913. It operates Brazil, Chili, U.S., Canada, South Africa and Australia conveyor belt plants; recently formed Shandong Aneng Conveyor Belt & Rubber Co. - China's leading conveyor belt manufacturer; and recently acquired a U.S. conveyor belt fabric business.

In addition, an $18 million expansion underway at its Marysville, Ohio, heavy-duty conveyor belt plant adds new process technology and equipment.

Veyance Technologies has 35 manufacturing facilities worldwide and employs 9,000 associates. Along with conveyor belts, Veyance manufactures and markets Goodyear-branded industrial and automotive products, including industrial and hydraulic hose, power transmission belts, rubber track, air springs and tensioners, as well as metal sprockets, fittings and couplings. Veyance Technologies, Inc.

Publication: PR Newswire
Provider: PR Newswire
Date: September 3, 2008

Vale orders 12 new vessels for Asian 'shuttle service'

Brazilian iron ore giant Vale signed a contract with China's Rongsheng Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries for the construction of 12 large ore carriers, each with a capacity of 400,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt).

In a statement sent to Steel Business Briefing, Vale says those will be the largest ore carriers to be built in the world. They will form the central element of the company's “shuttle service” carrying iron ore from Brazil to Asia.

Vale had previously announced the construction of four 388,000 dwt ships, one 300,000 dwt and one 290,000 dwt converted crude carrier. Together with the new ships and three already existing Capesize vessels, the company will have a fleet with an estimated capacity to transport 30.2m tonnes/year of iron ore from Brazil to Asia.

The first of the new vessels is expected to be delivered at the beginning of 2011, says Vale, adding the completion of the order is expected to take place in 2012.

Vale will invest US$1.6bn in this contract. "This capital expenditure is in addition to our investment program of US$59bn for 2008-2012," says the company.

Publication: SBB - Steel Business Briefing
Provider: Steel Business Briefing
Date: August 12, 2008

Rio Tinto in advanced talks on Brazilian steelworks project

Rio Tinto is near to an agreement with two companies for the construction of a steelworks in Corumbá city, in Brazil's midwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Last week the company announced plans for a substantial expansion of its iron ore mining operations in the region.

“Rio Tinto has started procedures to get the construction license, but steelmaking is not part of our core business,” said a company director, stressing that the miner will not have any participation in the steel project.

Talks about the new steel plant started back in 2005 with more than 10 companies, local and foreign, as reported by Steel Business Briefing. The technology used should be based on natural gas, taking advantage of the good supply in Corumbá. Initially, capacity should stand at 1m tonnes/year for the production of billets, other semis or finished steel.

“The success of the steel plant will impact the following phases of our expansion plans in iron ore,” said the director about Rio Tinto’s plan to expand its iron ore production to 23m t/y.

Publication: SBB - Steel Business Briefing
Provider: Steel Business Briefing
Date: August 12, 2008