Ricardo Bastos, Director of Institutional Affairs at Great Wall Motors (GWM) in Brazil, said on 24 February that Espírito Santo's institutional security was one of the reasons that led the Chinese multinational to announce the state as the location for its second car factory in Brazil and Latin America. The company executive made the statement during a press conference at the Anchieta Palace in Vitória, where GWM presented the schedule for the implementation of the factory in Aracruz, on the northern coast of Espírito Santo.

The factory will be located in the industrial zone of Barra do Riacho, in an area of 1,979,397 square metres earmarked for the implementation of the project and integration with the logistics structure of Parklog/ES. According to Ricardo Bastos, the project envisages an automotive plant with a complete production process (stamping, welding, painting and final assembly) with an annual capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles.

‘The implementation phase is expected to mobilise between 1,500 and 3,500 construction workers. The operation is estimated to create up to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs,’ said the Chinese factory manager.

(Source: EC Blog by Elimar Côrtes, on 24 February)