thyssenkrupp in South America

South America, with more than 4,000 employees, is one of thyssenkrupp’s main operations outside Germany. The company has been doing business in the region for 180 years.

In 1837, the company's owner, Alfred Krupp, received the first order from a Brazilian customer to supply two engraved cylinders for minting coins. Shortly thereafter, the company built a ship for transporting goods and passengers for Cruzeiro do Sul, a shipping company based in Santos (São Paulo State), and also received the first order for a steam locomotive for the Central do Brasil railroad company.

In 1961, thyssenkrupp’s first plant in South America opened in Campo Limpo Paulista (São Paulo State). This was also the group’s first metallurgical plant outside Europe. This operation boosted the company's performance in a number of industrial segments in Brazil, including the automotive industry, for which Metalúrgica Campo Limpo is now one of the major suppliers of components for cars, commercial vehicles and machinery.

In 1987, a new milestone: the supply of Tupi Class submarines for the Brazilian Navy. These vessels are critically important to national security, and are responsible today for patrolling the country’s coast and the pre-salt oil basins.

The expansion and diversification of thyssenkrupp’s operations continued over the following decades, at pace with the growth of the economy and also through mergers and acquisitions. In 2020, thyssenrupp won the contract for building four Tamandaré Class Frigates for the Brazilian Navy - the most modern and innovative naval project ever built in national territory.

As part of the strategy to enable the green transformation, in 2022 thyssenkrupp signed a contract with Unigel to supply its alkaline water electrolysis technology for the first industrial-scale green hydrogen plant in Brazil.

Solid Footprint in the region

9 out of 10 vehicles produced in the region are equipped with thyssenkrupp components
1 out of 2 wind power mills in Brazil is equipped with thyssenkrupp components
We are responsible for the most modern and innovative naval project ever built in national territory: The Tamandaré Class Frigates

Learn more about our relationship with South America

Manifest thyssenkrupp Brazil

thyssenkrupp Company Movie

thyssenkrupp south america innovation technology 180 years

Key figures

Valor de vendas, número de colaboradores, operações, número de escritórios, centros de pesquisa.

thyssenkrupp and South America – our history

Alfred Krupp’s company’s first order for Brazil: two engraved cylinders for minting coins.

First office in South America, in Buenos Aires

Supply of 100 railway wheels and two steam locomotives for the agricultural sector

Two years after its registration in Germany, the Krupp brand is also protected in Brazil. This shows that the Brazilian market was already considered very important, even at that time.

Entry into the mining sector in Chile

Blohm & Voss (now thyssenkrupp Marine Systems) builds the vessel “Orion” for transporting goods and passengers for the Santos-based Cruzeiro do Sul shipping company.

Henschel & Sohn (later Thyssen Henschel) receives the first order for a locomotive. That same year, two steam locomotives are supplied to the Central do Brasil railroad company.

Participation in the creation of the Indústria Brasileira de Mineração e Siderurgia Ltda. - later called Ferteco Mineração

Companhia Thyssen do Brasil is founded in Rio de Janeiro

Supply of the largest diesel locomotive ever built in Germany to Brazil

Alfred Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach and President Janio Quadros open the group’s first metallurgical unit in Brazil, in Campo Limpo Paulista

Tupi Class submarines are supplied to the Brazilian Navy

Elevadores Sür acquisition.

Thyssen and Krupp merger gives rise to thyssenkrupp

thyssenkrupp CSA opened in Rio de Janeiro, one of thyssenkrupp’s biggest investments globally

Beginning of thyssenkrupp regional headquarters operations in South America, located in Sao Paulo.

Poços de Caldas receives the first thyssenkrupp factory in Brazil conceived under Industry 4.0 concept

More than 100 mobility equipment installed at RIOgaleão airport for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

thyssenkrupp celebrates 180 years of innovation in South America

thyssenkrupp is nominated for the second time one of the five most innovative companies in capital goods in Brazil by Valor Inovação Awards

thyssenkrupp is nominated for the third time one of the five most innovative companies in capital goods in Brazil by Valor Inovação Awards

thyssenkrupp, together with Embraer and Atech, signed the contract for building four state-of-the-art Tamandaré Class ships for the Brazilian Navy, under Águas Azuis naval partnership

Launch of the Tamandaré F200 Frigate at thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul