São Paulo – Rudnick, a furniture factory from Santa Catarina, is eyeing the Arab market and aims to start selling its furniture to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. “It is a market that is growing constantly and has great consumer potential,” said Joelma Lucia da Silva, the company trader.
It is wooden furniture for bedrooms, sitting rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms, both for houses and hotels. “Civil construction is very heated in the region. There is, for example, The Qatar World Cup. Saudi Arabia, in turn, stands out in construction,” pointed out Silva.
The company produces solid wood furniture and also three different kinds of wooden panels. “We have a factory for each one of these three lines. We can supply the same product in several tones. We also mix several raw materials in the same product,” said Silva, pointing out the versatility of the Rudnick furniture.
According to the executive, the Arab countries offer good opportunities for the hospitality lines. “But we are also interested in the residential line, focussing on condos and flats, which buy greater volumes, with all furniture installed,” she explained.
Seeking clients in the region for some years, the company has already been present at Index, in Dubai, and in 2012 participated in a Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) delegation to Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. This year, Rudnick became an Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce associate. “We became Chamber associates so they would help us enter this market in a more assertive manner,” explained Silva.
According to the executive, the company is already planning participation in other fairs in the Middle East. “We would like to participate in the Big 5 and The Hotel Show (both in the Emirates), but we have not yet defined it,” she said.
Currently, the company exports to the United States, Canada, Peru, Chile, Liberia, Venezuela, Paraguay and Bolivia. Silva does not inform the company’s revenues, but says that 12% come from sales to the foreign market and that the intention is for this number to rise. “We plan to reach 40% in the medium term, and hope that half may come from the Arab market,” stated the trader.
Headquartered in the city São Bento do Sul, Rudnick employs 750 people. Apart from the three factories, the company also has a distribution centre.
Contact
Rudnick
Tel.: (+55 47) 3631-1058
E-mail: joelma@rudnick.com.br
Site: www.rudnick.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
