Alexandre Rocha*
São Paulo – Azaléia, a producer of shoes from the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, closed on Thursday (21) a contract for the export of 5,000 pairs of female sandals to Five Stars, a factory and importer of shoes that is based in Syria. This will be the first sale by the Brazilian company to the Arab country. Azaléia, however, already does business with other countries in the region.
The order, for immediate delivery, was made during the International Shoes, Fashion Accessories, Machines and Components Fair (Francal), which ends on Friday in the exhibition pavilion of the Anhembi, in the southeastern Brazilian city of São Paulo. Azaléia has a stand at the event. It is also the first purchase of Brazilian products by brothers Basem and Bassam Kamsheh, the owners of Five Stars.
The importers are not only interested in this specific deal, but also in becoming Azaléia distributors in Syria, eyeing the economic opening promoted by the government of the country. Companies Al Burak and Salha Group also want to represent the brand. "But this question still needs to be evaluated," stated Wolf.
Azaléia is one of the main Brazilian companies in the shoe sector, with annual production of 36 million pairs. Last year, the company had revenues of over US$ 420 million. The company has 40 production units in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia and Sergipe (the two latter in the northeast of Brazil).
Always according to information supplied by the company, Azaléia exports 25% of production to over 80 countries, among them Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Lebanon, Egypt and now Syria.
The Kamsheh brothers are part of the group of nine Syrian businessmen who are in Brazil especially to participate in the Francal. The delegation is part of a "buyer project" financed by the Brazilian Association of Shoe Manufacturers (Abicalçados) and by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex).
*Translated by Mark Ament
