Geovana Pagel
São Paulo -Brazilian Health Products (BHP), an export consortium made up of small and medium companies that produce medical and dentistry products in the Ribeirão Preto region, in the interior of the industrial state of São Paulo (southeastern Brazil), closed export contracts for the value of US$ 192,000 at the Arab Health fair, which took place in Dubai, in January. Sales perspectives for the next 12 months are US$ 3.9 million.
According to the consortium operations manager, Mauricio Penha, the project ranges from universities to producers. According to him, closer contact with the Arab countries took place in December last year, when he participated in the Brazilian Week & Trade Exhibition in Dubai, also in the United Arab Emirates.
"The purpose of the mission was mainly to show the Brazilian image, but it was useful and allowed us to study the market, which is very promising," he stated.
Penha said he was fascinated by the Emirates. "When I got to the airport, it felt like I was entering a multinational, where everyone is trained, well mannered, and polite," he stated.
Business expectations were confirmed in January this year, when he returned to the Emirates to participate in the Arab Health fair. "I had already noticed that Dubai is a free zone and works as a door of entry to the Arab countries," he guaranteed.
At Arab Health, representatives from companies in the consortium, which currently includes 15 organizations (from the cities of Ribeirão Preto, Cravinhos, São Carlos, Araçatuba, São José dos Campos and São Paulo, all in São Paulo state), were in a collective stand, in which the Association of the Manufacturers of Medical and Dental Products (Abimo) was also included.
"Most sales were to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman," stated the manager. Deals closed at the fair generated US$ 192,000, and ARE expected to reach US$ 3.9 million within the next 12 months.
How the consortium was born
Penha recalls that the consortium was started due to a study by the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex), in 1997, which showed the business potential of all regions in Brazil. "Ribeirão Preto was identified as a large pole for production of medical and health products," he explained.
In 1999, he said, initial talks for the creation of the project took place. "Support by the Centre of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Ciesp), Abimo, Apex and the São Paulo state Support Service to the Small Business (Sebrae) was essential," he guaranteed.
In the following year, the elaboration of the project and strategic planning to define where the group wanted to go and what they needed to change began.
"So as to export, it was necessary to improve product quality, labour, get certification, and spread the export culture. Much work was necessary in training," he explained.
"On the first day of April 2002, the BHP consortium was created. At the time it included 10 companies (six in the medical area and four in dentistry)," explained the manager.
In 2002, the consortium participated in four international fairs (FIME, in Miami/USA, FDI, in Vienna/Austria; Expodental Internacional, in Milan/Italy, and Medica, Düsseldorf/Germany) and increased its export volume by 74.33%.
Sales were mainly to Latin America, Eastern Europe, North Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, generating revenues of US$ 1.3 million.
In the following year, the group participated in eight international fairs, including the Brazilian Week & Trade Exhibition in Dubai, and had export growth of 64%. In 2003, export revenues totalled US$ 2.2 million.
This year, the consortium should once again participate in the most important international trade fairs in the medical and dentistry area. "We are expecting export growth of at least 20% in 2004," stated the BHP operation manager.
Contact
Brazilian Health Products
Telephone: (+5516) 3931.3535
Site: www.bhphealth.com
