Founded in 1945, Mercurio Conveyor Belt is the leader in the Brazilian market and the largest manufacturer of conveyor belts in Latin America.
Headquartered in Jundiaí (SP), it also has a plant in Marabá (PA), a Distribution Center in Jundiaí, and sales offices in Chile, Peru, and Mexico.
It operates in more than 40 distinct industry segments especially Mining, Steel, Fertilizers, Agribusiness, Ports, Cement, and Aggregates.
It currently employs more than 600 employees and constantly invests in technology with the aim of transporting wealth to build, transform, and feed the planet.
The Marabá Expansion
Mercurio Conveyor Belt announces that its second largest investment in its history is underway: a broad expansion plan of its second manufacturing plant located in the Marabá (PA) Industrial District.
The plant is the first and only one to produce conveyor belts in the north of the country and was inaugurated in October 2016, quickly becoming a fundamental part of the company’s expansion plan.
Since then Mercurio has expanded its leadership in the national market and consolidated itself as the largest conveyor belt manufacturer in Latin America.
The new investment of around R$ 80 million will be responsible for increasing the local production capacity by around 50%.
n addition to setting itself way ahead of the pack in the Brazilian market, the company intends to increase its participation in international markets, especially in Latin America.
“The first years of operation in Marabá can be classified as exceptional and our expectations were more than surpassed. We have been operating at full capacity for a few years and these results have given us confidence to move forward with this new investment and expansion plan,” explains Mercurio’s CEO, Leonardo Sales.
The expansion building project, which began in January this year and is due to be completed in the first half of 2023, includes new lines for manufacturing conveyor belts in addition to expanding the facilities and infrastructure.
Mr. Sales also reinforced that in addition to increasing productive capacity, the expansion project aims to adopt new technologies that will allow Mercurio to manufacture conveyor belts with tensions equivalent to ST10,000 within approximately 12 months. The manufacturing of very high-tension conveyor belts is unprecedented in Brazil and once again we will be pioneers reinforcing the country’s position on the map as the most relevant global suppliers.
Sustainability is key
Cristina Kawall, Chairman of Mercurio’s Board of Directors, highlights the aspects of sustainability during this new phase.
“The project is broad and ambitious. One of the main concerns was to maintain the model of processes and technologies with the lowest environmental impact with a focus on both reducing wastes and properly disposing them. In this context, another point worth highlighting is the strategic location of our plant, which allows us to reduce freight costs to our customers located in the North and Northeast of the country, thus contributing to reducing fuel consumption in the transportation of conveyor belts and the emission of CO2.”
Another objective of the expansion project is to offer services at the Unit for repairing steel cord belts, which will allow reducing operational costs and the disposal volumes of used belts from the company’s customers.
New job opportunities
At the end of this expansion cycle, the company, which currently employs some 200 workers filling both direct and indirect job openings, should add 70 new positions to its headcount.
“Efforts to expand the operation in the North region, generating direct and indirect jobs and prioritizing the local supply network confirm Mercurio’s commitment to economic growth and the region’s development,” adds Mr. Sales.
