The Brasilian motor-maker WEG has recently produced its 100 millionth motor - an IEC 225M/L frame machine.

In its first year of production, in 1961, WEG produced just 146 motors. The following year, it manufactured 5,000, and in its tenth year it built 200,000 motors. By last year, WEG was producing eight million motors.

"We took 45 years to produce 100 million motors," says Décio da Silva, the company`s president and chief executive (shown above with the record-setting motor). "However, we will certainly take shorter to duplicate this number."

As well motors, WEG also now manufactures generators, drives, soft-starts, switchgear, transformers, and industrial paints and varnishes. The 100 millionth motor is being placed on display in the company`s museum.