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WEG has chosen Guaramirim, in Santa Catarina, as the location for the new large-scale equipment factory of the Energy Unit. With an investment of R$ 900 million, the industrial park is expected to generate approximately 1,000 direct jobs, take advantage of the logistics close to the Santa Catarina ports, and start productive operations in 2028, according to plan.
The factory that WEG intends to build in Guaramirim, in the North of Santa Catarina, is expected to receive an investment of approximately R$ 900 million and produce large-scale equipment for the energy sector. The choice of the municipality, confirmed in November 2025, places a city estimated by IBGE at 51,009 inhabitants at the center of one of the main industrial projects announced by the company in the state.
As presented in a video published by the channel RICARDO CLIPES, expected to start operations in 2028, the new unit is expected to generate approximately 1,000 direct jobs and will be installed in the Poço Grande region. The project is part of a broader expansion plan of WEG in Santa Catarina, which also includes productive expansion in Jaraguá do Sul, the city where the company is headquartered.
R$ 900 million factory places Guaramirim on a new industrial scale
The new factory will be dedicated to WEG’s Energy Unit and will focus on large-scale equipment, a segment associated with industrial projects and systems for electrical generation and stability. The enterprise is expected to occupy about 35,000 square meters of built area, according to information released after the confirmation of the chosen city.
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For Guaramirim, the scale of the investment draws attention due to its relation to the size of the municipality. The estimated population of just over 51,000 inhabitants makes the installation of a unit with a forecast of 1,000 direct jobs a move capable of altering the local dynamics of hiring, professional qualification, transportation, and demand for services.
The project does not just represent the arrival of a new industrial building, but the insertion of Guaramirim into a production chain linked to equipment of high technical complexity. The operation will depend on specialized workers, suppliers, logistics, and infrastructure compatible with large-scale machines.
WEG chose a city close to the headquarters and connected to logistics corridors
The location of Guaramirim offers a strategic characteristic for WEG: proximity to Jaraguá do Sul, where the company was born and maintains its main base in Santa Catarina. This distance reduces the separation between the future unit, already established technical teams, and part of the existing industrial structure in the region.
Another point considered in the planning is logistics. The company had informed that the location of the new park should consider access to highways BR-101 and BR-280 and the main ports of Santa Catarina. With Guaramirim defined to receive the factory, the project becomes part of a relevant axis for the movement of inputs and large equipment.
The connection with ports in Santa Catarina is especially important because bulky industrial products require suitable routes for transportation. The larger the equipment, the greater the relevance of road and port access capable of supporting complex movements tends to be.
Unit will produce giant equipment for energy systems
The new WEG plant is expected to produce synchronous compensators, turbogenerators, and high-speed induction motors. These equipments meet the demands of energy and industrial systems that need to operate on a large scale, with stability and capacity compatible with high-performance projects.
Synchronous compensators are used to contribute to the stability and quality of electrical grids, while turbogenerators transform mechanical energy into electricity in generation facilities. High-speed induction motors serve industrial applications that require power and continuous operation.
The plan released by the company also foresees the expansion of the scope of services related to motors, generators, and large hydraulic turbines. The Guaramirim factory is expected to concentrate products whose manufacturing requires robust infrastructure, industrial precision, and specialized technical knowledge.
Project integrates WEG’s expansion in Santa Catarina until 2028
The investment in Guaramirim is part of a plan announced by WEG to expand the production capacity of the Energy Unit in Santa Catarina. The program totals approximately R$ 1.1 billion by 2028, with R$ 900 million allocated to the new industrial park and R$ 160 million aimed at expanding existing operations in Jaraguá do Sul.
At the unit already established in Jaraguá do Sul, the company intends to add 11,250 square meters to the production area. The combination of expanding the existing base and implementing the new factory in Guaramirim indicates that the northern region of Santa Catarina will continue to play a significant role in the company’s industrial strategy.
WEG reported that the project aims to increase the production of equipment with higher power than currently manufactured, as well as to optimize processes and reduce operational costs. The new unit, therefore, is linked to a demand for larger machines and a competitiveness strategy for the energy sector.
A thousand direct jobs may change the routine of a city with 51 thousand residents
The forecast of approximately 1,000 direct jobs is one of the main effects announced for Guaramirim. In a municipality with just over 51 thousand inhabitants, the number represents a significant expansion of formal opportunities related to a single industrial operation.
The installation of the unit may also increase the demand for professionals in maintenance, production, engineering, logistics, security, administration, and technical areas. Although the exact number of hires per function still depends on the plant’s implementation, the project’s scale suggests a demand for qualified labor at different stages.
Besides the jobs within the factory, the industrial movement tends to impact transportation, food, housing, commerce, and local suppliers. These impacts, however, will depend on the execution of the schedule, effective hiring, and the municipality’s ability to keep up with the growth.
The promise of direct jobs increases economic expectations but also imposes the need for urban and professional preparation to absorb the new demand.
Works scheduled to begin in 2026 will require surrounding infrastructure
The construction of the industrial park is scheduled to begin in 2026, with operations planned for 2028. The schedule places the municipality in a period of construction that will involve the circulation of workers, machines, supplies, and heavy vehicles in the chosen area for the enterprise.
The municipal administration reported that it will execute a road access to serve the new unit, with an estimated investment of R$ 4 million. This measure is linked to the need to organize the flow to the factory area and prepare the surroundings for future operation.
The expansion of a plant of this size may also require monitoring of mobility, public services, housing supply, and professional training. Large industrial investments generate opportunities but also require local infrastructure to advance at a pace compatible with the new volume of people and cargo.
Energy equipment elevates the technological relevance of the municipality
Guaramirim is already part of an industrially developed region of Santa Catarina, close to Jaraguá do Sul and important transport corridors. With the new WEG unit, the municipality should receive an operation focused on equipment that directly participates in energy infrastructure and large-scale industrial activity.
This characteristic differentiates the project from a factory aimed at common consumer goods. The announced production involves complex machines, of large dimensions, intended for installations that require reliability, advanced engineering, and technical service capability.
For the city, the change can strengthen the presence of industrial activities with higher technological content. The factory will not only bring jobs to Guaramirim: it should bring an operation associated with strategic equipment for electrical networks and energy generation projects.
Proximity to ports may favor the transport of large machines
Access to road and port corridors appears as an important part of the site selection for the new unit. Equipment such as turbogenerators and synchronous compensators may require special transport due to weight, volume, and operational care.
In this context, proximity to Santa Catarina’s highways and ports can facilitate the movement of products manufactured in Guaramirim to customers in other regions or for broader logistical operations. WEG did not detail in the initial announcement which destinations will receive the products from the new unit but indicated the relevance of logistical infrastructure in the planning of the manufacturing park.
The choice connects the factory to a network already used by the industrial sector in Santa Catarina. A plant capable of producing large-scale equipment needs to be connected not only to workers and technology but also to efficient paths to remove these machines from the production line.
Guaramirim will have to keep up with the growth pace caused by the factory
The arrival of approximately 1,000 direct jobs represents a significant opportunity for residents of Guaramirim and nearby cities. At the same time, projects of this magnitude can increase demand for rental, urban transportation, professional training, and everyday services.
The actual impact will depend on how the implementation occurs by 2028. The existence of planned vacancies does not mean the immediate hiring of the entire workforce, just as effects on commerce and housing should be observed as the construction progresses and the operation begins.
For Santa Catarina, the investment strengthens an industrial axis already associated with WEG and the production of electrical equipment. For Guaramirim, the challenge will be to transform the arrival of the factory into development accompanied by infrastructure, professional training, and the ability to meet the new demands of economic activity.
Small city begins to receive strategic-scale industrial project
The choice of Guaramirim shows how municipalities outside the capitals can assume a relevant role in large-scale industrial projects. With a location close to WEG’s headquarters, logistical access, and an estimated population of about 51,000 inhabitants, the city was selected to receive a R$ 900 million unit focused on the energy sector.
If the schedule is met, the factory will start operating in 2028 and is expected to generate approximately 1,000 direct jobs, in addition to increasing the industrial weight of the municipality in the North of Santa Catarina. The scale of the investment creates expectations, but the concrete effects will depend on the implementation and local preparation to absorb the changes.
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