NSG Group to Expand Pilkington Automotive Glazing Capacity in Brazil

The NSG Group has announced plans to invest approximately $82 million (140 million BRL, 6.7 billion Japanese Yen) to expand and upgrade its Pilkington Automotive glazing operations in Brazil.

The new investment involves the construction of a new plant at Caçapava in the São Paulo region, alongside the group´s existing facilities, for the production of laminated and tempered parts. The plant will be equipped with advanced technology currently used in the group´s operations in Europe and North America.

"Brazil is a very important market for us in which we been operating for some 30 years and have a high market share," says Craig Naylor, president and chief executive officer of the NSG Group. "The overall vehicle market in Brazil is growing strongly, with annual production expected to reach 5 million vehicles by 2014."

Company officials say the investment will expand its overall capacity in laminated and tempered parts and will enhance its capability to meet increasing demand for value-added products. These products include glass parts involving "complex curvatures and additional functionality, such as integrated antennas for mobile communication, demisting equipment and automatic rain sensors, [which] are increasingly being specified in the region."

The new laminating line is due to come on stream in early 2011 and will increase the group´s capacity in Brazil by around 50 percent, permitting the production of approximately three million car windshields a year. The tempering line will be commissioned in two phases, with the first coming on stream at the beginning of 2012. Around 200 jobs will be created locally as both operations begin production.