São Paulo – They have gained the world with accessories, toys and decoration items with an artisanal touch. Their client list includes Germany, Spain, the United States, France and Portugal. In Brazil, sales are made to 15 states, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia being the leading buyers of items by Cooperativa de Artesanato Futurarte (Futurarte Handicraft Cooperative), based in Betim, in the state of Minas Gerais. Established in 2004, the initiative is sponsored by the oil company Petrobras and congregates 22 artisans who work with materials such as newspapers, magazines, cement bags, banners and recyclables in general.
The list of products that bear the Futurarte label comprises items such as boxes, placemats, costume jewellery, cups, pots, plates, trays, purses, mandalas, toys and office items, among others. “Our production counts on support from a designer,” explains the administrative coordinator of the cooperative, Priscila Lopes. “We follow the trends, using the colours that are on fashion right now, for instance,” she says.
According to Priscila, it was thus that the brand’s product domestic and foreign sales have grown. Exports began in 2007, with support from the Entrepreneur Training and Support Centre Institute (Centro Cape), in the state capital Belo Horizonte. “It was Centro Cape that introduced us to our first foreign clients, and it also took our products to showcase at international fairs and events,” she explains.
Foreign sales began with the United States. Now, exports account for 45% of Futurarte’s business. Is there any interest in the Arabs? “A lot,” says Priscila. “We are aware that those countries are good buyers of Brazilian products,” she claims. “And we want to take our work to the highest possible number of places.”
After the initial contacts, sales picked up steam as the cooperative launched its website, where products may be seen and orders placed by both natural persons and enterprises in Brazil and out of it.
Among the top-selling items, purses are the favourites in the domestic and foreign markets. “Basketry items sell a lot as well,” says Priscila. Headed toward the future, the Futurarte artisans hope to produce more options of toys, and thus attract more clients for its creations.
Contact
Futurarte
Telephone: (+55 31) 3596-2828
http://www.futurarte.com.br/index.php
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
