São Paulo – The thermos from the Brazilian company Invicta already won over consumers in five Arab countries: Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Lebanon. Sales to the Middle East started in 2011.
“We attended fairs in Frankfurt (Germany) and Chicago (United States). The one in which we made more contacts with Arabs was Frankfurt”, says Alexandre Kumai, International Sales manager.
“In these fairs, we close some deals [sales], but they [clients] attend with the intention to know more about the products”, says Kumai. The majority of business with Arabs is done through traders that work for the company. Among the clients there are both retailers and distributors.
The type of thermos exported to Arabs varies according to the country. To Yemen, Invicta exports mainly plastic ones. “The Saudis ask for the price of those bottles with better finishing. They like the stainless steel ones”, says the manager. The price of the thermos shipped to the region varies from US$ 4 to US$ 20.
According to the executive, Invicta sells to more than 30 countries. Its main exports destinations are Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. The company manufactures an average of 900,000 thermos per month, with 15 different lines.
Besides thermos bottles, the company also manufactures other products such as glass jars and bottles, flasks, “squeezes”, kitchen tools, jugs and box thermos. Invicta’s external sales are equivalent to approximately 2% to 3% of the total production.
About the chances of expanding business in the region, Kumai says that the Middle East “is a big market, which carries more requirements, but one which consumes a lot”. Despite being a company originally Brazilian, since 2012 Invicta is controlled by Jarden Corporation, from the United States, and can’t export to countries such as Iraq or Syria.
Based in São Paulo and with an industrial plant in Minas Gerais, Invicta was founded in 1952 and has around 800 employees.
Contact
Invicta
Website: www.invictaonline.com.br
Phone: +55 (11) 5503-1102
Email: alexandre.kumai@coleman.com
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
