Santa Catarina Company Employs 47 Thousand People, Invests R$ 1 Billion/Year in Research and Surpasses Giants Like GE and Siemens in Motor Production.
WEG, a 100% Brazilian company founded in 1961 by three partners with capital equivalent to a Volkswagen Beetle, is now valued at R$ 220 billion — second only to Petrobras in the national market. With 64 factories in 17 countries, including 17 in Brazil and 6 in China, the company is the largest manufacturer of electric motors in the world, as well as producing generators for hydroelectric plants and wind towers.
WEG Around the World: 64 Factories and Operations in 120 Countries
The global presence includes:
- Americas: 17 factories in Brazil, 3 in the USA, 4 in Mexico and 2 in Colombia;
- Europe: 3 in Germany, 2 in Italy and 1 in Austria;
- Asia/Africa: 6 in China, 4 in India and 6 in South Africa.
The distribution network reaches 120 countries, with technical support in 42 nations.
Founded in Jaraguá do Sul (SC), the company started with capital equivalent to US$ 30 thousand (the price of a Beetle in 1961). Today, it holds 23% of the global electric motor market, surpassing Siemens and General Electric.
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50 viaducts, 4 tunnels, 28 bridges, and 40 kilometers of bike paths: BR-262 in Espírito Santo will receive 8.6 billion reais for the largest engineering project in the state’s history, inspired by the Immigrant Highway in São Paulo.
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Brazil produces too much clean energy and doesn’t know what to do with it: over 20% of solar and wind capacity was wasted in 2025 while investors flee and 509 renewable generation projects were abandoned in the last year.
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Piauí will produce a new fuel that replaces diesel without needing to change anything in the truck’s engine and reduces pollutant gas emissions by half: truck drivers from all over the Northeast are already celebrating the news that will arrive later this decade.
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A new Brazilian shopping center worth R$ 400 million will be built in an area equivalent to more than 4 football fields, featuring 90 stores, 5 cinemas, a supermarket, a college, and parking for 1,700 cars, potentially generating 3,000 jobs.
Innovation: R$ 1 Billion/Year in Research and 4,700 Engineers
WEG maintains:
- Innovation Center at IPT (Institute of Technological Research);
- 10% of the 47 thousand employees are engineers;
- Patents in technologies such as motors for electric vehicles and solar energy systems.
The company is strategic in the energy transition:
- Produces generators for 30% of Brazilian hydroelectric plants, including Itaipu;
- Supplies components for 1 in every 5 wind towers installed worldwide;
- Develops batteries for renewable energy storage.
How Did WEG Conquer Europe and the USA?
International expansion accelerated with:
- Acquisition of Austrian ATB (2010), the largest motor manufacturer in Europe;
- Factory in Texas (USA) to serve the oil and gas industry;
- Partnership with Xiaomi for electric vehicle motors in China.
With 62 years of history, WEG proves that innovation and strategic planning can transform a small workshop in Santa Catarina into a global giant of sustainable technology. Its next challenge? To lead the electric vehicle revolution.

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