São Paulo – The Brazilian Association of Leather and Footwear Machinery Industries (Abrameq) has launched a new brand for the international market, better suited to the industry’s reality. Developed by the São Paulo-based company Top Brands, the brand is now called Brazilian Shoes + Leather Machinery. “It reflects the industry’s positioning,” says Abrameq executive director Rosângela Arruda regarding the colours and design of the logo, which are references to modernity and technology.
The industry is investing in the international market and striving to increase its presence in foreign countries. Last year, the industry exported US$ 16 million worth of equipment, up US$ 2 million from 2011’s US$ 14 million. In 2013, according to Arruda, sales should either remain level or increase. The high price of the United States dollar in relation to Brazil’s real, according to executive, has favoured exports by shoe and leather machinery manufacturers.
The Abrameq comprises 55 affiliated companies, which account for a combined 60% of all companies in the industry. They are mostly based in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and make machinery and equipment used by the shoe, leather and effluent treatment industries. The launch of the new brand was held by Abrameq in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) last Tuesday (12th).
For the past ten years, the brand was Machinery By Brazil. According to Arruda, the new brand will be used in all of the industry’s communication material, including both the affiliated companies and Abrameq itself, and ranging from summons to advertisements, catalogues, companies’ websites, and the Abrameq website. The brand will also feature in the industry’s international promotion actions, such as attendance at foreign fairs, Brazilian fairs receiving foreign buyers, and matchmaking rounds with importers.
The main target markets for Brazilian leather and shoe machinery are Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. Latin America is the industry’s main export target, according to the executive director. “We plan on having more and more exporting companies,” says Arruda, noting that Abrameq is working to that end by providing training in management and innovation, and arranging for participations at fairs in Brazil and abroad, and in matchmaking rounds.
According to the executive, a key factor in boosting the presence of Brazilian companies in the international market is the fact that most of them are family-run businesses currently in their second generation. These new managers are more interested in exporting.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
