Fania

The company says that its extensive knowledge of international spare parts has meant that it has been able to provide customers with cables that meet all automotive requirements.

Brazil-based Fania Cabos Flexiveis is one of the pioneers in the automotive spare parts segment in the country. The company’s head office is in São Paulo, in the Santo Amaro district, and its manufacturing is in the southern part of the country, in Itajuba, in the state of Minas Gerais. The company employs a total of nearly 450 people.

The company’s product offerings are cables used by automotive companies. Some of Fania’s customers include Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Volvo, Scania, Caterpillar, Fiat, New Holland, Agrale, AGCO, Embraer, Heligras, IVECO Argentina, General Motors and Renault.

Fania’s manufacturing unit is spread over 9000 square meters in Itajuba and is one of the first industrial plants in the area. The company says that its extensive knowledge of international spare parts has meant that it has been able to provide customers with cables that meet all automotive requirements. Brazil has the advantage of having an abundance of high-quality raw materials and basic components, which helps Fania manufacture high-tech products.

Fania exports cables to countries like the United States, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tunisia, Australia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Surinam, Egypt and other countries in the Middle East.

The company was founded in 1961 in São Paulo on a 1000-square-meter plot of land, with 50 employees. By 1970, the company shifted to the district of Interlagos, which had another 200 employees. In 1973, a new industrial unit in Itajuba was set up and production was partially transferred here. In 1980, the Itajuba plant was expanded and all manufacturing was shifted there, with 500 employees working in the unit. Between 1990 and 2000, Fania started manufacturing air cable systems, command systems for rear view mirrors, door-locking systems and glass commands. By 2003, Fania moved production to the Morumbi district.

Fania says that its strength lies in its highly specialized technical team and its ability to invest in new businesses. Fania has also focused on quality – it has the QS–9000 (1998), ISO/TS–16949 (2003), and ISO-14000 (2003) certifications. The company says it continuously improves its products and processes.

Automotive Industries asked Silvio Fernandes, controller of Fania, about the future of his company.

AI: How much of your production is exported and how much is used domestically in Brazil?

We export directly to several automakers in the OEM market and aftermarket in all continents. Our main markets are Mexico, the United States, South America, Spain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium, South Africa, Marrok, Tunisia, Australia, New Zealand, Syria, Lebanon, Singapore and Turkey, amongst others.
AI: What are some of the business areas Fania is concentrating on and why?

Our product line includes speedometers, accelerators, parking brakes, tachographs, clutches, hoods, seat locks, oil level meters, air diffusers and rear mirrors.