São Paulo – Shoe producer Grendene, established in Farroupilha, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, is opening the market in the Arab countries: Libya and Sudan. The company already exports to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Morocco. The negotiations with Libyan and Sudanese distributors began in late January, during company participation in Khartoum International Fair, in Sudan, and in the Brazilian mission to North Africa, organized by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
According to Artur Bonotto, company trader for the Middle East and North Africa, the first shipment should take place by the end of the first half. "The negotiations are well advanced. We have already sent samples and should close the first orders for the next season," she said. "The fair in Sudan provided us with excellent contacts. We participated in the event for the first time and were greatly impressed," he said. The Brazilian stand at the exhibition was organized by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
According to Bonotto, Sudan, with 40 million inhabitants, is a potential market for Grendene. "We may supply their demand for mass products, with quality and design much better than that of the Chinese products," guaranteed the trader.
Bonotto’s evaluation about the mission is also positive. "The delegation was also good mainly due to the political question, generating contact with local politicians and embassies of Brazil in the Arab countries that may aid in the business," he said. The Brazilian mission, led by minister Miguel Jorge, visited Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco between the 24th and 30th of January.
Today, in North Africa, Egypt is the main import market for Grendene, followed by Morocco. "They are two mature markets where our brand is already consolidated by the work developed in partnership with local distributors," he said.
Grendene exports to 90 countries. Among the main destination markets for the company are the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The first Grendene production unit was established in Farroupilha, in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, in 1971. What was a small plastic packaging factory little by little became one of the main global producers of synthetic shoes and a leader in several sectors of the Brazilian market. Nowadays the company generates 20,000 direct jobs and produces 500,000 pairs a day.
The company has brands like Melissa, Rider, Grendha, Ipanema Gisele Bündchen, Ipanema, Grendene Kids, Grendene Baby and Ilhabela. The company has six industrial units, with 12 shoe factories with total installed capacity of 176 million pairs a year, as well as a matrix unit and a PVC factory with a production capacity of 51,000 tonnes a year, used for production of shoes.
Contact
Telephone: (+55 54) 2109-9733
Site: www.grendene.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
