Indaiatuba, Brazil

Nature Blooms While Technology Booms At GMB Proving Ground

Indaiatuba, Brazil - Engineers and visitors to GM do Brasil's Cruz Alta Proving Grounds are enjoying a rare sight. Four Ipê trees which surround the old "fazenda" estate have bloomed in an exuberant yellow color. The trees are thought to be at least seventy years old and evoke a time when Cruz Alta was a famed coffee plantation.

"Everyone is enchanted by the blooming trees. I had to come and see them," said Hermes Souza, a botanist, agronomist and member of the Waldemarin family which once owned the Cruz Alta coffee "fazenda."

The Cruz Alta Proving Grounds, the largest of its kind in Latin America, is among five worldwide where GM completes engineering and validation testing for its vehicles. "Modern science literally coexists with nature here," said José Penteado, general manager of the Cruz Alta proving grounds.

The property encompasses a natural reserve of 1100 acres which is a breeding ground for a variety of birds and more than 400 native plant species. More than six-hundred acres have been reforested with native trees such as jacaranda-mimoso, alecrim and cinamomo. A local environmental organization, Ibama, helps monitor the population of animal species which call the proving grounds home. Part of the grounds boast 10 thousand macadamia nut trees, a major attraction to the children and community groups which participate in field trips since it produced its first harvest in 2000.

The Cruz Alta Proving Ground (CAPC) was inaugurated in 1974. It boasts a state-of-the-art laboratory and test tracks reflecting a variety of driving conditions. More than fourteen engineering teams, focused on a range of disciplines ranging from safety to emissions, conduct more than 13,000 vehicle tests each year.

GM do Brasil , established in 1925, is comprised of manufacturing complexes at São Caetano do Sul, São José dos Campos, Mogi das Cruzes and Gravataí: two parts distribution centers at Sorocaba and Mogi das Cruzes; a Proving Ground at Indaiatuba, administrative offices at several locations and Banco General Motors in São Paulo. The company markets vehicles under the Chevrolet and GMC brands.