São Paulo – In little over one year of partnership, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Algeria and Egypt have become destinations for 30% of exports by Aladim, a Brazilian hard candy, lollipop and chewing gum manufacturer. The company’s first contact with Arab importers took place during a trade fair in Germany and the Aladim brand name, which is the Portuguese language version of one of the most famous characters in the tales of the One Thousand and One Nights, ended up opening doors and winning the hearts of Arab buyers.
“The name attracts much attention at trade fairs, and most importers always ask whether the company’s owners are Arab descendents,” says Maitane Mathias, export manager of Aladim. According to her, the company, founded approximately 25 years ago, was called Doce Bom up until 2001, when one of its products, a lollipop named Aladim, was so successful that it became the flagship product, and led the owners to change the brand’s name.
The name change seems to have brought good luck to the company’s business, because it coincided with the start of foreign sales. “The first-ever exports went to African and South American countries. Then came sales to Europe, and more recently to the Arab countries,” says Maitane. According to her, the partnership with Arab importers shows promising signs and should soon lead to new contracts with three other countries in the region. “We are negotiating with Lebanon, Mauritania and Morocco,” she claims.
As a strategy for ensuring new contacts abroad, the company usually attends the main trade fairs for the industry, such as Anuga, in Germany; Gulfood, in the United Arab Emirates; and Sial, in France. “Next October we are going to the Sial, where we usually meet many Arab importers as well,” claims the manager.
The company, based in the municipality of Mirassol, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, generates 100 direct jobs and produces an average 50 tonnes of sweets per day.
Contact
Telephone: (+55 17) 3242-3273
E-mail: aladim@aladim.ind.br
Site: www.aladim.ind.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
