1. Establishment of NIPPONDENSO REFRIGERACOES LTDA. (NDB)

[4] Taking on the challenge of the aftermarket air conditioner business

DENSO planned for NDB to import seven of the major air conditioner components, including compressors, evaporators, and condensers, from Japan, and procure the rest locally, which it would then combine and sell as air conditioner kits to car dealers. Moreover, DENSO set an initial target of realizing the first sales by the end of the year in the aftermarket air conditioner business that NDB was attempting to roll out.
Prior to the establishment of NDB, DENSO had already surveyed local part manufacturers, material manufacturers, machinery manufacturers, and other businesses that would support local procurement, and it had previously prepared air conditioner drawings together with Bosch. Yet, Bosch was reluctant to loan NDB the drawings because the joint venture plan had been scrapped.
NDB tenaciously visited Bosch Brazil in Campinas, central São Paulo, and negotiated with the company until it received permission to trace and copy the drawings by hand. Consequently, NDB placed the drawings on a technical drawing table, layered paper on top, and copied the drawings by hand. With the help of engineers from DENSO Headquarters, NDB completed a prototype product based on the drawings that were finally acquired from Bosch, and began running driving tests upon installing the prototype product on a used car the representatives from Japan drove for commuting and shopping.
The summer of 1975 was cold, so the local area of São Paulo did not become hot enough to conduct tests intended to confirm the prototype’s heat resistant and cooling capacity. Consequently, the engineers traveled 1,000 kilometers north to Mato Grosso and Rio de Janeiro to conduct the tests.
Following its completion, this air conditioner was installed in the car used by the President & CEO of Toyota Tsusho Brazil (Ford Galaxy) and the car used by the President & CEO of Amino, a Japanese futon store (Chrysler Dodge Dart). The first sales were only achieved on New Year’s Eve 1975, just barely within the year.