WEG Has 64 Factories in 17 Countries and R$ 220 Billion in Market Value: How the Brazilian Company Became a Global Leader in Electric Motors

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 10/04/2025 at 16:51

WEG, brasileira com 64 fábricas em 17 países, é líder global em motores elétricos. Vale R$ 220 bi, emprega 47 mil e investe R$ 1 bi/ano em pesquisa. Entenda sua expansão.

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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.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

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.

WEG Has 64 Factories in 17 Countries and R$ 220 Billion in Market Value: How the Brazilian Company Became a Global Leader in Electric Motors

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 Around the World: 64 Factories and Operations in 120 Countries

Innovation: R$ 1 Billion/Year in Research and 4,700 Engineers

How Did WEG Conquer Europe and the USA?

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WEG Has 64 Factories in 17 Countries and R$ 220 Billion in Market Value: How the Brazilian Company Became a Global Leader in Electric Motors

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 Around the World: 64 Factories and Operations in 120 Countries

Innovation: R$ 1 Billion/Year in Research and 4,700 Engineers

How Did WEG Conquer Europe and the USA?

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While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

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