São Paulo – Macaúba Brasil, Minas Gerais state-based company of hair straightening and treatment products, is focused on opening the Arab market for its cosmetics. The company already closed an order from Egypt and is working to get distributors in five other countries in the region.
“Our targets are the distributors. Our products are sold to salons and spas. It’s not a product for retail”, explains Augusto Locha, exports manager.
The client from Egypt placed an order in March and the products should be shipped this semester still. According to Locha, it’s a USD 20,000 order and includes hair straightening kits for all types of hair, plus specific products for thicker or blonde hair.
The company was founded four years ago and in 2016 it went searching for a market abroad, from which it plans to profit USD 500,000 until the end of the year. “We set up two work fronts, Europe and the Arab market”, says Locha. “We are keeping our feet on the ground. We have natural products that replace keratin and we have the only hair straightening for men. I think it will be a hit [among the Arabs]”, says the executive.
The company’s products are based on macaúba, a Brazilian native palm, very common in Minas Gerais cerrado region. About the hair straightening for men, Locha explains that its formula contains less emollient. “Men don’t want straight hair such as women. This process makes it straight, but naturally”, he says.
Locha says that the company decided to focus on the Arab market because it’s a region with high purchasing power and one that has “a certain mistery to get into”, he assess. “If you’re able to do business with the Arabs, you’re ready to do business anywhere in the world”, he emphasizes.
“We sent samples to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and Iraq. It’s a testing period”, says Locha. To help with entrance in these markets, in Macaúba became a member, in January, of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. Another initiative in this sense was the development of an Arabic version of the company’s website (http://www.macaubabrasil.com.br/ar/).
According to Locha, they’re betting on the potential clients From Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “They’re the ones asking for more details. Based on their questions, you can tell the interest in doing business”, he says. The price of Macaúba’s hair straightening kits for distributors abroad vary from USD 72.50 to USD 172, according to the type of product.
The company also decided to attend for the first time the Beautyworld Middle East, the largest cosmetics fair in the Middle East, scheduled for May 15 to 17, in Dubai. “We’re going with several meetings already scheduled”, he says. Outside the Arab world, Macaúba already exports to Italy and is in negotiations to sell to Spain.
Based in Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, Macaúba Brasil was founded by a family of Lebanese descent and has 29 employees. Its plant is located in Muriaé (310 km from Belo Horizonte). The plan, however, is to build a new plant in Leopoldina (323 km from Belo Horizonte) for the manufacturing of cosmetics and also packaging. The company also has an office in Rome.
Macaúba Brasil
Website: www.macaubabrasil.com.br
Phone: +55 32 3441-5558
Email: comercial@macaubabrasil.com
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
