Brembo marks 'first pour' at new cast iron foundry in Mexico

ESCOBEDO, Mexico — Brake technology developer Brembo S.p.A. had a successful first pour at its all-new cast iron foundry in Escobedo on Nov. 16.

It is the ninth foundry in Brembo's worldwide foundry network and the second cast iron foundry the company has built in North America. Brembo began production in its 266,000-sq.-ft. iron foundry in Homer, Mich., last year.

According to Brembo North America Inc., based in Plymouth, Mich., the Escobedo facility will:

• Cast iron rotors for Brembo's nearby disc machining plant in Escobedo;
• Have a melting capacity of approximately 70,000 tons per year; and
• Measures 269,000 square feet.

Aluminum calipers have been in production at Escobedo since October 2016, the company said, noting that it has made a $131 million investment between its two Escobedo facilities, where since November 2016 it has created 700 new jobs.

The Escobedo facilities' production is dedicated to American, European and Asian original equipment manufacturers that are or will be manufacturing vehicles in Mexico, Brembo said.

“The first pour in Mexico is the result of a combination of efforts by our strong existing team in North America, our global foundry experts around the world, and the newly hired workforce in Mexico,” said Matteo Tiraboschi, deputy executive chairman, Brembo S.p.A. “We are thankful for the cooperation and partnership that we have with the local and state government in Mexico, which has enabled our company to support our customers in Mexico.

“Getting the Escobedo facility online reinforces our dedication to producing the best quality brake components locally for our customers in this region well into the future.

“With three foundry operations up and running in North America, our fastest growing market, we are now in the best position to serve our customers in the most efficient way possible.” 

Dan Sandberg, president and CEO of Brembo North America, added that “getting the Mexico foundry up and running is a great example of teamwork from Brembo associates around the globe. The state-of-the-art design of both new facilities have already made our business in the region more efficient and assures that we are well positioned to keep providing high quality and competitive brake components to our OE customers in North America….”

Brembo supplies high-performance brake systems for cars, commercial vehicles and motorbikes worldwide, as well as clutches and other components for racing. The company operates in 15 countries on three continents, with 24 production and business sites and approximately 9.000 employees. It is the owner of the Brembo, Breco, AP, Bybre and Marchesini brands and operates through the AP Racing brand.