“They are our partners!'

VWCO has come a long way since then. The company has evolved from a new player, from a producer of only two models in 1981, the founding year, to one of South America's leading truck and bus manufacturers. What has been the key to that success?

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus has always worked hard to achieve its major objectives: to be one of the leaders in the Latin American truck and bus market while relying on the best truck and bus dealer network in Brazil; to have the right products for our markets, following the slogan "less you don't want, more you don't need"; to own a state-of-the-art production process - in our case, the Consórcio Modular in Resende; to be a benchmark when it comes to ESG. And so we are: in sustainability, social issues, and governance, with a strong performance in compliance and auditing. It is also part of our goal to have an excellent organizational climate - and to provide a good return to our stakeholders.

Can you remember a crucial moment in the brand's history that illustrates that dynamic development?

I can remember several! There is no doubt that the most crucial moment for the brand happened in 1996, when the Autolatina joint venture was dissolved. At that time, the VW trucks and buses were produced at a Ford-owned plant. Since Ford took back its assembly line after the split, we ended up without one. We had to build our own truck and bus plant in a hurry, which we managed successfully. Can you believe that the Resende plant was built in just 153 days? Another very important moment happened in 2003. After 22 years of growing in the market, we achieved market leadership in Brazil. A remarkable achievement and a position we maintain to this day. Our participation in the Group IPO was also very important for our brand. I was there at the ceremony two years ago at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and had the honor of representing the Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus brand and taking part in the business opening ceremony, which included the traditional ringing of the bell!

What were the main challenges in becoming what you are today, a mobility company that offers over 280 product variants and that has produced well over a million trucks and buses in the last 40 years? Brazil and the surrounding regions are not the easiest of markets to conquer, especially for a new player, as Volkswagen proved to be in the beginning…

One of the main challenges for conquering markets was to find the right truck to fit all the needs of developing countries like Brazil. With that in mind, creating the tailor-made and "less you don't want, more you don't need" concepts, preserving cutting-edge technologies for our demanding customers. We have our global research and development center for VW trucks and buses at our Resende plant. The success of our sales and our leadership in the market of trucks and buses in over 30 countries are proof of our brand's creativity, competence, high technology, and reliability.

What kind of trucks and buses does the Brazilian market need? Roads are often not in the best condition, and drivers have to reach very remote destinations spread far and wide…

You're right. But as described above, our R&D is focused on finding the best transportation solutions even for challenging routes in this country, which is the size of a continent. Almost 90 percent of Brazilian roads are not paved, and even some paved ones require heavy maintenance. But the agricultural business, industry, and commerce are strong, as we remain one of the biggest emerging economies in the world. That is why you can find a VWCO product fit for every need, both here and abroad.

What kind of trucks and buses does the Brazilian market need? Roads are often not in the best condition, and drivers have to reach very remote destinations spread far and wide…

You're right. But as described above, our R&D is focused on finding the best transportation solutions even for challenging routes in this country, which is the size of a continent. Almost 90 percent of Brazilian roads are not paved, and even some paved ones require heavy maintenance. But the agricultural business, industry, and commerce are strong, as we remain one of the biggest emerging economies in the world. That is why you can find a VWCO product fit for every need, both here and abroad.

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