Mazda will produce vehicles in Mexico
Mazda joins a Sumitomo to build a car production facility in Mexico and a sales company in Brazil
Mazda Motor Corporation today announced that it has signed formal agreements and begins the preparations to establish a production facility in Mexico Mazda vehicles as well as a vendor company in Brazil, in collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation. Basing these new ventures, Mazda and Sumitomo PROVIDE combine their individual strengths in order to grow the business of both companies in the growing markets of Central America and South America.
Production facilities in Mexico will become the hub for the manufacture of compact vehicles intended primarily to markets in Central America and South America, and will include both a factory assembling vehicles and plant Engine mounting.
They will be built in the city of Salamanca, in the state of Guanajuato, which is 250 kilometers northwest of Mexico City. Mazda and Sumitomo plan to begin their activities during the 2013 financial year (April 2013 to March 2014) and produce 140,000 vehicles per year. The facility will produce the Mazda2 models (called Mazda Demio in Japan) and Mazda3 (Mazda Axela in Japan).
The Brazilian company responsible for the sale will begin its activities during the financial year 2012 (April 2012 to March 2013), before the completion of the construction of the production plant of Mexico, and initially will sell imported vehicles from Japan . Once Mexican facilities are operational, they also sell the vehicles from Mexico.
Between 2005 and 2010, demand for new vehicles in Brazil has doubled from approximately 3.5 million units. The Brazil currently represents the fourth largest auto market across the planet, after China, the United States and Japan.
Mr. Takashi Yamanouchi, representative director, chairman of the board and CEO, said: "Since Mazda entered the Mexican Walking in October 2005, our sales results have steadily improved, and the company has established a new record in 2010 regarding its sales volume and market share. Building on this success, and by taking maximum advantage of the vast experience of Sumitomo and knowledge of the latter of Emerging Markets, we continue to build our business in Mexico and throughout Central America and South America, including the Brazilian market booming. These initiatives are part of Mazda strategies to realize its medium and long-term objectives regarding the emerging markets. "
