INSIGHT 2|2019

11 FOCUS ON NEWHEADQUARTERS OPENED ITS DOORS IN SOROCABA IN JULY A new $35 million Latin American headquarters in Sorocaba, Brazil puts General Cable and Prysmian organisations under a single roof for the first time, creating a new home for the combined group just one year after the merger took effect. This will make it easier to work closely together towards Prysmian’s goal of building its competitive strengths in this fast-growing region, where revenues rose 9.6% in the first half of 2019. “This is an historical moment because we are talking about a presence of over 90 years in Latin America and specifically Brazil,” said Prysmian Group CEO Valerio Battista at the July inauguration. “We are very proud of it. And very proud to sustain the growth of our company meeting the requirements of the local population.” The Sorocaba plant now has bigger production capacity for power cables, optical and metal data transmission cables, as well as for special automotive industry cables lines. A new 23,000-square-metre distribution area and a cutting-edge R&D laboratory mean that the facility has everything it needs to become a centre of excellence for the entire group. The new headquarters replaces the previous Santo André site. The plant next to the new headquarters is the sole location in South America where the glass for optical fibres is produced. “We just made a tremendous investment in different areas of the company to support the growth of the industry in Latin America,” said JuanMogollon, CEO Latin America. “With the integration of General Cable and Prysmian in Latin America, we now have the most comprehensive footprint of the industry in the region to serve our customers. And we will continue to invest in designing the right products for the market, in developing and training our associates, and most importantly in finding new ways to remain lean, simple and cost effective.” The investment demonstrates that South America and Brazil are strategic markets for the group. It is a region where the integration with General Cable has improved its competitiveness and positioning. The headquarters was inaugurated in July by CEO Valerio Battista and Latam CEO Mobgollon, who spoke to a group of employees and customers celebrating a new future that coincides with the 90th anniversary of Prysmian in Brazil. The CEO and top managers gave some 50 journalists a guided tour around the factory, illustrating data about new machines and process. They also visited the administrative offices. The event was the perfect moment to celebrate the first year of General Cable and Prysmian integration and reinforce the group’s values of Drive, Trust and Simplicity. We are very proud of it. And very proud to sustain the growth of our company meeting the requirements of the local population. Valerio Battista, Prysmian Group CEO