Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Company Household & Toiletries Manufacturing (HTM), which belongs to Jordanian group Munir Sukhtian, sent two executives to Brazil to organise the opening of an office in São Paulo, in the southeast of the country. The sales manager at HTM, Samer Al-Fares, arrived in the city on Tuesday (11) accompanied by the regional director, Diab Abu Ghosh. Yesterday they visited the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. HTM, which makes personal hygiene items, plans to open a new base in Brazil in the near future to start distributing products on the local market.
According to Al-Fares, the next step should be the installation of a factory. In this trip through Brazil both executives are going to meet with lawyers, to talk about laws for local investment, with possible distributors and also to seek a site for the opening the office. This is the third trip of the HTM representatives to Brazil. They already have contact with potential distributors for their products, but have not yet closed deals. Al-Fares said that the intention is to talk more with the greatest possible number of distributors and then to have one, large-scale, in each region of Brazil.
"We have identified the potential of the market of Brazil. Our products were successful in other countries and we believe that they will be here too," said Al-Fares. The company already exports to regions like Europe, Africa and Central Asia. To Brazil, the HTM products are not yet exported. The company from Jordan initially plans to offer the Brazilian market products in the HiGeen line, among them disinfectants for skin, water and hand soap, antiseptic soap and cream for natural massage. The organisation also plans to produce talcum powder for feet, products for burns and toothpaste, among others.
Part of the products should be turned to the upper class and another part to the upper middle class. The items to be produced by the company in Brazil, later, should also be in the HiGeen line, but they have not yet been totally defined and will be selected through market research. Al-Fares explained that the company wants to offer, in Brazil, quality products for the best possible price. The initial objective is to send, for distribution, around US$ 100,000 in Jordanian products. When the company is already producing in Brazil the intention is to have revenues of US$ 5 million in the first year.
"For our success, it is very important for us to be in this region of the world," stated Al-Fares. In Latin America, HTM already exports to Bolivia. The products are being registered in Venezuela and Panama. The Jordanian company also plans to start selling in Argentina and Chile. Al-Fares and Ghosh are going to stay in Brazil up to the beginning of next week.
Those interested in talking to them should get in contact with the Foreign Trade Department at the Arab Brazilian Chamber through e-mail comex@ccab.org.br or through telephone (+55 11) 3283-4066 extension 4083.
*Translated by Mark Ament
