Geovana Pagel*
São Paulo – The furniture produced by Estofados Grando, from the city of Farroupilha, are going to reach the Arab market in 2007. The small factory, which already exports to 16 countries, started the contact with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa in November last year, during participation in the Index furniture fair, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
"We made around 100 very important contacts during the fair. Our participation was excellent. Our negotiations are currently very advanced, and we bet on new and lasting business with the Arab countries," stated Zeli Grando, director and owner of the company.
According to the company, the producer decided to invest in the search for new clients on the Arab market, motivated by the opportunity of selling grater added value products. "We know that the Arabs prefer better quality, more lasting and better finished products. A proof of this is that they buy large volumes of furniture made in Italy," explains Zeli.
"We are sure that Index is the main door of entry into the Middle East and we are certainly going to be present in the 2007 edition," she guaranteed. In 2006 around 1,600 companies from 55 countries participated in the Index. The main items sought by the visitors, around 40,000 people, were furniture for offices, interiors, hotels, restaurants, kitchens and bathrooms as well as fabrics and upholstered products.
Three decades of experience
Estofados Grando is a family company that was established in 1975, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The first products were made in an area of just 54 square metres. In the following year, the company already had collaborators who helped in the production of the furniture. The company continued growing and in 1981 started operating in an area of 5,500 square metres, where they are to date.
According to the director, since the beginning the company had as its characteristic the production of long-lasting goods, with good quality and beauty. "We always prioritised the choice of quality raw materials and investment in technology," she pointed out.
Today, the factory has a line of over 80 different models of sofas, armchairs, chairs and sofa-beds in classic and contemporary style, and a large variety of fabrics, permitting many combinations. Around 30% of the production at Estofados Grando, which employs 60 people, is exported. The main markets abroad are Europe, the United States, Africa and Latin America.
Contact
Telephone: (+55 54) 3268-1744
E-mail: compras@moveisgrando.com.br
Site: www.moveisgrando.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
