São Paulo – This Friday (16th), Marcopolo, a Brazilian bus body manufacturing company based in the state of Rio Grande do Sul announced that it expects to make 32,500 units in 2012. Out of those, 12,500 should be made abroad, and 200 should be made in Egypt, where the company maintains a partnership with local company GB Auto. According to Marcopolo, the 2012 forecast for the Egyptian plant is a “conservative” one.
The target for this year was to produce 600 units, but as a result of the protests that led to the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak, in February, there was a shortage of raw material to meet the goal. Thus, the plant in Suez manufactured less than 200 buses.
In 2010, the plant in North Africa made 334 units. According to the company, the forecast of making 200 buses in 20121 is conservative because the country has not chosen a new president yet.
In addition to the forecasts concerning Egypt, Marcopolo announced this Friday that it is expecting to post revenues of 3.6 billion reals (US$ 2.7 billion) next year, 7.5% more than in 2011. In 2010, the company posted revenues of 2.96 billion reals (US$ 2.2 billion). Marcopolo intends to invest 140 million reals (US$ 107.6 million) in 2012. Some of the funds will be allocated to the company’s Australian unit.
Out of a total of 32,500 buses, 20,000 should be made in Brazil. Of the remaining 12,500, 7,700 will be made in India, 1,300 in Argentina, 1,700 in Mexico, 900 in Colombia, 400 in Australia and 300 in South Africa, in addition to the 200 expected to be made in Egypt. In 2010, Marcopolo manufactured 27,580 vehicles.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
