São Paulo – Importers from Algeria, Oman and the United Arab Emirates who are participating in the Brazilian High-End Furniture Manufacturers Association (Abimad) fair had already developed business at the fair yesterday (12), on the first day of the event, which takes place in São Paulo. At Formanova, for example, the Algerian buyer selected over 40 sets of dining rooms, side tables and buffet tables, among others. "The order has not yet been closed, but I believe that at least one of the three containers should be closed," said the export manager at the company, Karina Lehmkuhl Botelho.
The Algerian has been a Formanova client for three years and usually imports one container a year. According to Karina, the buyer from Oman also asked for quotes for some dining sets, but he is not yet a client. Another Arab buyer who was at the stand set up by the company, which is headquartered in Santa Catarina, was Mikdad Bhabhrawala, the general manager at Western Furniture chain, from the United Arab Emirates.
"I have not yet closed anything, but I am looking. I liked the innovation of the dining sets very much," said Bhabhrawala, who already imports from Formanova. According to him the main attraction at Abimad is the contemporaneous style of furniture, which is the kind of product Western Furniture imports.
With three shops in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, the company imports 90% of its products from Italy and over the last years started selling Brazilian furniture. "Brazil has to develop greater work in the promotion of the brand in the Arab world, as it needs to win recognition on the foreign market," stated the manager.
Another Brazilian company that received Arab buyers at its stand was Niroflex, of plush furniture, and, according to the foreign sale department representative, Rodrigo Taconi, the company should close a deal after the fair, mainly with the buyer from Oman. "He has already got a first quotation," said Taconi, who estimates the volume at a container.
"He opted for the plush furniture by Niroflex, which has a more advanced and dynamic model, and by Corfam, which is one of the lines more turned to comfort," said Taconi. The three importers are not yet clients at the company, which is headquartered in Arapongas, in Paraná. However, the company already exports to the Emirates and has already shipped to Algeria and Oman.
Niroflex, which exports to around 30 countries, is betting on recovery of exports this year, as they have already represented 80% of the company’s production, but they now represent 20%. "It is a decisive year to return to international market leadership," said Taconi. According to him, the first day of the fair was very positive.
Service
Abimad Fair
Date: February 12th to 15th
Time: From 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Site: Imigrantes Exhibition Centre
Address: Rodovia dos Imigrantes, Km 1.5 – São Paulo/SP
*Translated by Mark Ament
