Chinese home appliance giant Midea Group has announced the opening of its new Brazilian factory in Pouso Alegre, a city in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. The official inauguration was held on 9 December, reports Brazilian outlet Diário do Comércio.

The sprawling factory covers an area of 73,000 square metres and has the capacity to produce 700,000 refrigerators and 600,000 washing machines annually. Midea Carrier CEO Felipe Costa told reporters that the company aims to reach maximum production potential in two years.

While the factory will be employing 700 employees initially, Midea expects to increase this to 1,000 jobs by December 2025. Mayor Coronel Dimas said he believes the factory could transform the municipality into a hub for the home appliances, as the investment has already triggered conversations about similar manufacturers coming to Pouso Alegre.

The new factory will be Midea’s third in Brazil, following the Manaus (Amazonas) site, which produces household air conditioners and microwaves, and the Canoas (Rio Grande do Sul) site, which makes commercial air conditioners. While the previous two are operated in partnership with Carrier, Pouso Alegre