Check out the milestones that have marked WEG's history of success
Timeline
WEG, from the beginning up today. Get to know our history, know more about our evolution and achievements.
1961
In April 1961 the idea of creating a company to make electric motors is conceived. On September 16, Werner Ricardo Voigt, Eggon João da Silva and Geraldo Werninghaus founded WEG. Initial Capital Stock: Cr$ 3,600.00 (three thousand and six hundred cruzeiros).
1964
WEG buys the piece of land and begins building the Manufacturing Plant I. In the same year, it starts making motors in the plant.
1966
1st National Sales Convention and Foundation of WEG Recreational Association (ARWEG).
First Internal Committee on Accident Prevention is created.
1968
Creation of CENTROWEG. Then, the region did not offer technical training, and the founders created CENTROWEG to provide qualifications for the employees. The school takes adolescents to the world of technology, discovering and encouraging great talents.
1970
Creation of WEG quality policy and production of 1st motor according to ABNT and IEC standards. Concern with quality is in WEG's DNA. Since the foundation, the company has been concerned to meet all required standards.
1970
Beginning of exportation to Guatemala, Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia.
1971
WEG's shares start to be traded on the Stock Market.
1972
First reforestation park is created.
1973
Purchase of the piece of land for Manufacturing Plant II and beginning of the building of the factory.
Exportation of motors reaches 20 countries.
1975
One million motors produced.
1976
Apertura de un escritorio en Alemania con una alianza local – Motores Jara
1977
Inauguración del parque Fabril II.
1980
Implantación del Centro Tecnológico (Parque Fabril I)
1981
Creación de WEG Accionamientos
Creación de WEG Transformadores y WEG Energía.
1982
Creación del CCQ.
Lanzamiento de la primera línea de contactores y relés de protección.
Lanzados los primeros motores de gran potencia – 100 a 200 KW
1983
Surge WEG Química
1986
WEG recibe el primer premio: “Revista Exame - Melhores y Maiores”.
1988
Creación de WEG Automatización
1989
El Sr. Eggon João de la Silva deja la presidencia y cede el cargo a Décio de la Silva. Los fundadores forman el Consejo de Administración.
Producido el primer Trafo de 10 mil kVA, 138 kV, con 35 toneladas y 5,6m de altura. El mayor producido hasta entonces en SC.
1991
Inauguración de la Filial en EE.UU.
1992
Se inaugura una de las fundiciones más modernas de América Latina en Guaramirim/SC.
1993
Es distribuida la primera participación de ganancias.
WEG recibe por la primera vez la certificación ISO 9001.
1994
Criação dos Centros de Negócios Industriais
1995
Filial na Alemanha.
Realização da primeira Ação Comunitária WEG.
1996
Filial na Inglaterra.
1997
WEG recebe Prêmio Nacional de Qualidade.
1998
Filiais na França, Espanha e Suécia.
1999
WEG alcança 79% de market share no Brasil em motores elétricos e exporta 29% de sua produção para cerca de 55 países.
2000
Aquisição das primeiras fábricas no exterior (Argentina e México).
2001
Faturamento do primeiro bilhão de reais em um só ano.
WEG recebe a certificação ISO 14001
2002
Acquisition of manufacturing plant in Portugal.
Supply of the largest WEG transformer until then (200MVA, 550kV).
2003
Opening of WEG museum.
Manufacture of the largest generator of the world (50,000kVA, 13.8kV, 4 poles).
2005
Opening of the first manufacturing plant in China.
2005
Opening of a branch in Singapore.
2005
Acquisition of the manufacturing plant in Manaus.
2006
Production of the motor number 100,000,000.
2007
Acquisition of Trafo, manufacturer of large power transformers, and conventional and mobile substations, with units in the city of Gravataí (State of Rio Grande do Sul) and Hortolândia (State of São Paulo).
2007
WEG acquire the hydraulic turbines manufacturer Hidráulica Industrial S/A - HISA. The acquisition reinforces WEG's position on the energy generation, transmission and distribution segment.
2007
It is listed in Bovespa Novo Mercado, a segment of the stock market that trades stocks of companies that voluntarily adopt corporate governance practices in addition to those required by the Brazilian legislation.
2008
Décio da Silva takes over the presidency of the WEG Board of Directors and Harry Schmelzer Jr. takes over as WEG's CEO
Opening of a branch in Russia.
2009
Building of the Transformer Manufacturing Plant in Mexico (Huehuetoca)
2010
Beginning of the manufacturing operations of WEG India.
2010
Acquisition of Instrutech, in São Paulo, a Brazilian company manufacturer of safety, commercial and industrial automation products and systems.
2010
Acquisition of share control of Voltran.
2010
Acquisition of Zest Electric, WEG distributor in South Africa.
2010
Acquisition of the coating factory Pulverlux in Argentina.
Acquisition of the distributor FOURNAIS A/S in Denmark.
2011
Acquisition of Watt Drive AntriebstechnikGmbH, Austrian company specialized in the development and manufacture of gearboxes, gearmotors, frequency inverters and drive systems.
2011
Acquisition of the Electric Machinery company in the USA. A company specialized in motors, generators and exciters.
2011
Establishment of the Joint-Venture with CESTARI Industrial e Comercial – a company located in the city of Monte Alto (State of São Paulo) – to develop, manufacture and trade gearboxes and gearmotors.
2011
Lancement de la production de turbines éoliennes
Publication du livre sur les 50 années de l'histoire de WEG.
Ouverture de WEG India (WII) à Hosur.
Création d'une filiale au Pérou.
Ouverture de WEG Linhares (État d'Espírito Santo).
2012
Acquisition d'Injetel Indústria e Comércio de Componentes Plásticos Ltda., une société spécialisée dans la conception et la commercialisation de commutateurs, fiches et prises électriques pour des usages commerciaux et domestiques.
2012
Acquisition de Stardur Tintas Especiais Ltda., une entreprise spécialisée dans la production de revêtement de retouche industriels et automobiles implantée à Indaiatuba (État de São Paulo).
2012
Commercialisation des premiers dispositifs éoliens. Équipement d'une capacité de 90MW installé dans un parc éolien au nord-est du Brésil.
Les ventes internationales atteignent 51 % (NOI) des revenus de WEG.
Acquisition d'Indústria de Tintas e Vernizes Paumar S.A., une société spécialisée dans la conception et la commercialisation de revêtements, vernis, émails et laques.
2013
Ouverture d'une filiale en Équateur.
Acquisition du département Transformateurs et sous-stations de la société Hawker Siddeley Electric Africa (Pty) Ltd. implantée en Afrique du Sud. Production de sous-stations miniatures et commercialisation des transformateurs.
2014
Acquisition d'Antriebstechnik KATT Hessen GmbH, une société qui produit des moteurs électriques à grande vitesse. Siège social à Homberg et filiale à Dresden, en Allemagne.
2014
Acquisition de FTC Energy Group, une société de production et d'assemblage de panneaux électriques dédiés aux systèmes automatisés de Bogota, en Colombie.
2014
Acquisition de l'usine de production de moteurs et boites de vitesses de Württembergische Elektromotoren GmbH, une société implantée en Allemagne.
Acquisition des usines de production de moteurs électriques de Changzhou Sinya Electromotor Co. et de l'usine de production de pièces électroniques de Changzhou Machine Master Co. en Chine.
Acquisition de l'unité de services de la société Efacec Energy Service de Jaboatão dos Guararapes (État de Pernambuco).
2015
Acquisition de l'usine de production de transformateurs à haute tension, de sous-stations miniatures, des disjoncteurs moulés et de services de la société TSS Transformers (Pty) Ltd (“TSS”), dont le siège social est implanté à Heidelberg (Gauteng), en Agrique du Sud.
Acquisition de Transformadores Suntec, dont le siège se situe à Medelin, en Colombie.
WEG est élue Société de l'année par le magazine Exame.
WEG dispose d'usines de production dans onze pays et de locaux dans 29 pays. La société emploie plus de 31 000 personnes.
Acquisition d'Autrial S.L., entreprise de production de panneaux électriques pour les dispositifs et équipements industriels dont le siège se situe à Valence en Espagne.
2016
WEG acquires Bluffton Motor Works, LCC., an electric motor factory in the USA.
WEG greenfield manufacturing site in Rugao, China.
2017
Acquisition du fabricant de turbines brésilien TGM. Acquisition de l'activité transformateurs américains de CG Power.
2019
Entrée dans le secteur des solutions pour l'industrie 4.0 avec la création d'un département spécifique pour les entreprises digitales et l'acquisition de 51% du capital de PPI-Multitask et de V2COM.
2020
Acquisition de deux startups : BirminD, une entreprise technologique active sur le marché de l'intelligence artificielle appliquée à l'analyse industrielle et MVISIA, spécialisée dans les solutions d'intelligence artificielle appliquées à la vision par ordinateur pour l'industrie.
2020
- WEG acquires the factory of Transformers and Energy Services of the Americas S.A. (“TSEA”) in Betim/MG.
- WEG structures itself to manufacture artificial respirators for COVID-19 patients during the Pandemic
2021
- WEG acquires Balteau Produtos Elétricos Ltda, a transformer company for instruments and measurement sets in Itajubá/MG.
- WEG inaugurates its 5th Transformer factory in North America. Located in the city of Washington, State of Missouri, where the company already has two other units operating since 2017.
2021
- Establishment of a WEG manufacturing unit in Turkey. The new operation will be established in 7,000 square meters of manufacturing facilities, including warehouses, engineering, and service support areas. The scope of activities includes: Manufacturing of General Proposal Low Voltage Motors and Gearboxes, as well as marketing all WEG products and solutions for the following countries: Turkey, Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia.
- WEG opens a Commercial Branch in Poland that will cover Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
2022
Announcement of the construction of a new factory in Santo Tirso, Portugal. The company intends to invest 23.5 million euros to build 22,600 m² on the same land where WEG already has a 16,300 m² operation dedicated to the manufacture of low-voltage industrial motors. It will expand the production of large electric motors and transfer its factory located in Maia to Santo Tirso, centralizing all operations in the same place. The new factory in Santo Tirso is expected to start operating in the first quarter of 2024 and generate about 100 new jobs.
2022
- WEG supplies the largest electric generators ever produced by the company.
- WEG announces the establishment of a Joint Venture with the Cevital Group. The company will operate in the production and sale of electric motors for washing machines, initially focusing on the market in Algeria and North Africa.
- WEG acquires the Motion Control business of the Italian Company Gefran. A company manufacturing sensors, components, and industrial automation equipment, with factories in Italy, Germany, China, and India. The acquisition value is estimated at € 23.0 million.
2022
• Launch of the WEG Carbon Neutral Program with the following overall goals:
1. Reduce 52%* of emissions** by 2030
2. Achieve Net-Zero (neutral net emissions) by 2050
*Global average of WEG operations. Targets by operation and country follow the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) or 52%, whichever is higher.
**WEG Global Emissions of Scope 1 (fossil fuels) and 2 (non-renewable energy), base year 2021. Purpose: Develop technologies and solutions to contribute to building a more efficient and sustainable world.
• Inauguration of the WEG motor factory in Algeria.
2023
- WEG acquires all shares of BirminD.
- WEG announces a $40 million investment to acquire new land in Mexico.
- WEG acquires industrial electric motor and generator businesses from Regal Rexnord.
- WEG announces investments of R$ 1.2 billion for the expansion of Transformer production capacity.
2024
Alberto Yoshikazu Kuba is the new executive president of WEG, taking over the position previously held by Harry Schmelzer Jr. for 16 years.
Photo:Exame/Leandro Fonseca
2024
WEG acquiert Volt Electric Motors, un fabricant de moteurs commerciaux et industriels en Turquie. De plus, WEG acquiert Reivax S.A., une entreprise brésilienne opérant dans le secteur des systèmes de contrôle pour la production d'énergie.