Honda celebrated fifty years of motorcycle manufacturing in Brazil and, in celebration, announced an investment of R$ 3.3 billion in its Manaus plant (AM). Furthermore, an archive was inaugurated at the unit documenting the brand's trajectory in the country with 37 motorcycles.
This contribution aims to increase production capacity to 2.3 million annual motorcycles by 2029, surpassing the current level of approximately 1.6 million.
Bread production surpasses motorcycle production
A notable fact revealed during the press visit to the factory's anniversary is that, in a single day, the Manaus unit bakes about 25 thousand French loaves. This volume is almost four times greater than the number of motorcycles leaving the production line in the same period, which is around 7 thousand units daily.
This peculiarity attracted the attention of the press, but the justification lies in the scale of the operation and the need to meet the daily demand of the complex, since there are no local bakeries capable of meeting this volume alone. Therefore, the manufacturer assumed the role of bakery.
Internal structure and supply
Lourival Barros, responsible for Honda Motos do Brasil production, highlighted that Moto Honda da Amazônia is one of the largest industries in the Manaus hub, employing about 9 thousand direct employees, plus partners, totaling approximately 13 thousand people, which constitutes a true city.
The 25 thousand loaves produced daily are exclusively intended for internal consumption by employees. In an exclusive conversation with AutoPapo, Lourival detailed that food supply goes beyond bread; the company has a natural reserve located 70 kilometers from Manaus, where it cultivates vegetables used internally at the factory.
The executive explained that, although Honda is primarily a mobility company that manufactures motorcycles, it also produces bread and vegetables to maintain the supply of the Manaus unit.
Regional impact and global examples
When asked about the benefits for the neighboring community, Lourival confirmed that hiring local labor for the bakery activities, vegetable cultivation, and other operations with partners generates jobs and supports regional development over the last five decades of the factory's operation.
The situation in Manaus is not isolated in the automotive industry. In Germany, Volkswagen has been producing its own currywurst since 1973, prepared in the Volkswagen Service Factory butcher shop and cataloged with a specific part number.
The sales disparity is evident in the case of VW: in 2024 data, 8.552 million sausages were recorded sold in cafeterias and supermarkets, a record about 200 thousand units higher than in 2023. In the same period, the VW brand registered the sale of approximately 5.2 million cars and utility vehicles, indicating that the sausage is by far the most commercialized item.
In Brazil, Mercedes-Benz sought to integrate vegetable production into its factory park. In November 2019, the manufacturer ceded an area next to the restaurant of the truck and bus factory in São Bernardo do Campo (SP) to an Urban Farm managed by the Minas Gerais startup BeGreen. Mercedes provided the land, and the partner took over production.
According to data released at the time, this greenhouse used aquaponics, aeroponics, and LED lighting, with the capacity to produce 2,680 kilograms of vegetables monthly, corresponding to 44 thousand plants of greens, herbs, and spices. In February 2020, this project received second place in the Excellence in Environmental Management category of the Daimler Environmental Leadership Award.
