WEG Industries

Infobox_Company
company_name = WEG Indústrias S/A
company_type = Public (SA)
company_slogan = Transforming Energy into Solutions
location = Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil
foundation = 1961
founders = Werner Ricardo Voigt, Eggon João da Silva, Geraldo Werninghaus
industry = Conglomerates
products = Power Generation
Industrial Automation and Control
Transportation and Automotive
Electric Motor
Transformer
Switchgear
Programmable logic controller
Primer
Paint
Varnish
divisions = Industry Sector, Energy Sector
homepage = [http://www.weg.net/ www.weg.net]

WEG is a multinational corporation headquartered in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil, operating mainly in the electric engineering, power and automation technology areas.

WEG is the largest industrial electric motor manufacturer in the Americas and one of the largest manufacturers of electric motors in the world producing over ten million units annually. [cite web | url=http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/545942
title=ThomasNet | accessdate=2008-08-30] . WEG has operations in around 100 countries, with approximately 20,000 employees (2008). [cite web | url=http://www.wegelectric.com/asp/system/empty.asp?P=35&VID=default&SID=460951629415697&S=1&A=closeall&C=31769| title=www.wegelectric.com - Corporate Information - Figures | accessdate=2008-08-30]

WEG (Bovespa: [http://www.bovespa.com.br/home/ExecutaAcaoCotRapXSL.asp?gstrCA=707065480567691337681248570544650564452559491845572940512748550361665270&txtCodigo=WEGE3&intIdiomaXsl=1] ) is traded on the Stock Exchange of São Paulo (Bovespa) in Brazil.

History

The german word weg means "way".

The state of Santa Catarina in Brazil was subjected to German colonization (besides Italian and - much earlier - Portuguese), which must have influenced the founders (Werner Ricardo Voigt, Eggon João da Silva and Geraldo Werninghaus) in their decision to use the acronym WEG, joining the three first letters of their names.

The company started on the 16th of September 1961, when the three founded "Eletromotores Jaraguá". Years later, the company created by an electrician, an administrator and a mechanic would change its name to "Eletromotores WEG SA".

Initially producing electric motors, WEG started incrementing its activities during the eighties, with the production of electric components, products for industrial automation, power and distribution transformers, liquid and powder paints and electrical insulatins varnishes. More and more the company is consolidating itself not only as a motor manufacturer, but also as a complete, industrial, electrical systems supplier.

In 1989 the three founders created the company's Board of Directors and Décio da Silva was chosen as WEG's CEO. Two years later WEG's Quality and Productivity Program was implemented, consolidating the process of participative administration.

Products

WEG products are present at almost every electric engineering interest area:- Generation (Generators, transformers and switchgear)- Transmission (EPC, switchgears, transformers)- Distribution (EPC, transformers)- Electric products (motors, switchgears, frequency inverters, AC/DC converters, contactors, fuses, circuit breakers and servomotors, among others)- Automation (Hardware and Software)- Integration Engineering with products of different manufacturers

Figures

Counting on more than 19 thousand employees all over the world, WEG reached an annual turnover of R$ 4,552 billion in 2007, a growth of 29% in relation to 2006, R$ 3,527 billion. Exports were responsible for 30% of the company's turnover. [cite web | url=http://www.wegelectric.com/asp/system/empty.asp?P=35&VID=default&SID=460951629415697&S=1&A=closeall&C=31769| title=www.wegelectric.com - Corporate Information - Figures | accessdate=2008-08-30]

Production is distributed in manufacturing plants in Brazil (in the cities of São Paulo, São Bernardo do Campo, Hortolândia, Guarulhos, Manaus, Guaramirim, Itajaí, Blumenau and two plants in Jaraguá do Sul, two in Argentina, one in Mexico [http://www.weg.com.mx ] , one in Portugal and one in China. WEG also exports to over 100 countries and counts on branches and technical assistance in all five continents.

On May, 2008, WEG has announced a new factory in India. [cite web | url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7896600/BRAZIL-WEG-ANNOUNCES-ENGINE-FACTORY.html | title=Goliath | accessdate=2008-08-30]

A good part of these great results influence life in the city of Jaraguá do Sul directly. One of the most visible forms of this is the distribution of profits to the employees. Besides the injection of capital that the profit distribution provokes in all the sectors of the economy, WEG also participates directly in the increase in quality of life of the city. A great part of this success is due to participative administration, a concept applied from the factory floor up. The Circles of Quality Control (CCQ), implemented in 1982, are already part of the company culture. Through these groups, each employee is able to present suggestions on job safety, health and quality of life. Many suggestions result in new production processes and even in new machines, generating more savings and productivity.

Centroweg

Another highlight is WEG's training department, which invests in courses, both internal and external, for the workers and new trainees from all branches over the world.

Created in 1968 to aid in the lack of qualified professionals in the area of mechanical engineers, "Centroweg" grew and diversified its activities along with WEG. Today, it gives technical courses in the areas of mechanical, electronics, electricity, robotics and chemistry (for high school students) and mechanical engineers for adults.

References

; Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.weg.net Official site]