Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – Conservas Oderich S.A., a traditional Brazilian cannery working in meat, vegetables, condiments and fruit preserves, in cups, bottles, and cans, wants to increase business with the Arab world. Having exported to the region for over ten years, Oderich counts on the support of an Arab residing in Brazil to develop specific products that may be attractive to the Arab taste.
Hummus tahini (chickpea cream mixed with sesame oil), baba ghannouge with tahini (eggplant cream with sesame oil) and foul mudamas (small fava beans) are already being developed in the São Sebastião do Caí plant, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. The new products are part of a group of foods that can be tasted during the Brazilian Week & Trade Exhibition to take place in Dubai, between December 7 and 9, in the United Arab Emirates.
"We want to please the local taste, with quality and competitiveness," states the CEO, Marcos Odorico Oderich. "We are traveling with an open mind to get to know a little more of the Arab culture and develop our creative capacity," he says.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, Oderich has been executing regular and rising sales to Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. "One of the targets is to get to know and take advantage of opportunities to take business ahead there, if possible, and expand export," guarantees the businessman.
According to him, currently the main products are canned cattle beef, cattle beef fiambre (boiled ham), canned sausages, mayonnaise, beef and poultry pates. "We would like to offer a more diversified line. We know that there is a market for mustard, tomato ketchup, canned green corn, chicken sausages and peach and pineapple preserve," he states.
Alert to the potential for international trade, Oderich installed a new factory in Pelotas (also in Rio Grande do Sul) five years ago, and has recently invested around US$ 3.5 million in the modernization of their production unit in Caí, installing a cold chamber complex with an intelligent storage system and continuous flow.
"All of this has been done so as to prepare the company need for growth due to the development of new products," he points out.
According to the businessman, the Arab countries represent an exceptional potential for his product line due to the consumer profile and to the friendship and sympathy that has been cultivated over years of business relations.
The executive traveled to Jordan to visit a customer in 2001. "I noticed the spirit of friendship and fraternity. When we receive international customers, we have noticed that they show strong identification with the Brazilian people," he explains.
A family company, with 100% domestic capital, Oderich employs 1,100 people and should end 2003 with revenues of around US$ 51 million. Export is responsible for 20% of this total, being the Arab market currently responsible for 7% of foreign trade.
"Our operation in the region is still very small. We believe that more aggressive work, added to our competitive price policy, should increase sales in the Arab countries," bets the businessman.
The Brazilian Week & Trade Exhibition in Dubai is promoted by the Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade Ministry, by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex) and by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB).
Contact
Phone: (+5551) 635.1609
E-mail: comercioexterior@oderich.com.br
Site: www.oderich.com.br
