São Paulo – Civil construction tool manufacturer Scanmetal is working to break into the Arab market. It makes items including wheelbarrows, aluminum angles, scantling, safety nets and framing squares for door/window gaps and piping.
Known in Brazil for the quality and durability of its items, the company believes these features will help pave the way for it in the Arab world. “Our wheelbarrows will last as long as five years,” says Scanmetal technical representative Gersio Kuivjogi Fernandes. He had been keeping tabs on the region for some time now, and noticed a dearth of quality product and even a lack of awareness of some pieces of equipment.
He believes Scanmetal’s wheelbarrows match the needs of Arab countries. “Project completion times are long, therefore having durable equipment on hand prevents replacement purchases and freight costs, since everything in the region is imported,” he told ANBA.
Scanmetal also sees a market in Arab countries for its scantlings. “In my travels to Dubai it was easy to realize that this service depends on workers’ skills. They lack a bit of technique and equipment to increase productivity and quality,” he says. He also envisions a strong demand for collective protection equipment.
“When construction boomed in Brazil, a few companies realized that buying lasting equipment was extremely advantageous, seeing as repeatedly purchasing items that deteriorate fast means unnecessary work in several departments, which will take away from a company’s speed and competitiveness,” says Gersio Fernandes. Brazil experienced a construction boom about eight years ago.
In addition to selling product in Brazil, Scanmetal exported to Angola when the country’s building industry was going strong. “We sold product on several occasions to Brazilian companies that were working on projects in that region,” says Fernandes. Scanmetal has been active in the UAE, and it is also interested in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria, where major projects are underway in housing and otherwise.
The Brazilian company exhibited at The Big 5 industry show last year in Dubai. It got great feedback from visitors regarding the products. Fernandes explains that at least five people even tried to buy the demo items – which indeed got sold at the end of the show. Scanmetal is a member of the Arab Chamber. It had attended The Big 5 in 2015 and 2016 as a visitor.
(story continues after photo gallery)
The company’s manufacturing facilities span about 4,000 sqm in north side São Paulo, with a capacity for about 30 tons per month of finished products and 30 workers on hand.
Scanmetal was founded 20 years ago by then-building contractor Luiz Carlos Camilo. His goal was to create equipment that could increase quality and productivity in civil construction, which was quite artisanal then. The company introduced collective protection equipment designed to prevent falls, as well as several types of scantlings. Its founder is also an inventor. Many of his inventions are patented with Brazil’s National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI).
Quick facts
Scanmetal
Website: www.scanmetal.com.br
Email: gersiokf@gmail.com
Phone: +55 (11) 947425094
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
