São Paulo – Brazilian footwear industry Palmilhado Boots is working to break into the Arab market and has negotiated sales with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The company has hired an Arab professional, Eduardo Salloum (pictured above) from Syria, to start the export project and put its footwear in the Arab countries.
Palmilhado Boots produces a military boot brand that bears the name of the company. It also manufactures the brands PBL Safety of safety footwear and Serra Bella of women’s and men’s casual footwear.
Palmilhado Boots is the main footwear supplier for Brazil’s security agencies, such as the Armed Forces, state polices, municipal guards, rescue agencies, and others. The boots are made from leather and microfiber. They have high technologies such as Outlast, a temperature controller; Cordura, a high-performance fabric; Couro Sun Reflect, which reflects and disperse ultraviolet rays, thus lowering the temperature; and Solado Maxx, which is anatomic, light and long-lasting; among others.
The PBL Safety products also feature high technology and quality but are aimed at another audience, that requires safety shoes. They are used by professionals in civil construction, electricity sector, paving, welders, transport crews, and others. Serra Bella has a wide range of models across its collections.
Despite having started the export project recently, the company has a wide network of contacts and ongoing negotiations in 12 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, Salloum said. There is interest in selling the three footwear brands to the Arab countries. “We’ll soon break into the Arab countries,” Salloum told ANBA.
In Saudi Arabia, the company is participating in a bidding process to supply military boots. “This is very significant for us, as it is a major, interesting deal, particularly since it is with an Arab country where we are very interested in gain footing in,” the foreign trade manager said.
Salloum’s hiring is directly related with the company’s goal of breaking into foreign countries, particularly the Arabs. Him talking Arabic could help meet the goal of breaking into the Middle Eastern market. The company has already put the English websites of Palmilhado Boots and PBL Safety online and intends to have an Arabic version soon.
Salloum has four years of experience in safety footwear and three years as marketing, product and foreign trade manager, as well as one year as sales representative. Born in Syria, he speaks Portuguese, English and Arabic, has a degree in Civil Aviation, an associate degree in Marketing and is studying Administration in Brazil, where he has lived since 2014 and is naturalized.
Salloum believes in the marketability of the company’s footwear in the Arab countries. “We are keen to close a deal because we know we have undeniably high-quality, cost-effective products,” he told ANBA.
The ongoing negotiation with Egypt concerns the PBL Safety Brand and with Saudi Arabia relates to Palmilhado Boots. The company has already made connections in the United Arab Emirates. Salloum believes these three countries have a great potential to become clients of the company but says that the goal is serving all Arab countries.
The Brazilian industry Palmilhado Boots is approximately 20 years old and started as a small footwear store owned by Jorge Gilbram. He used to sell boots and other products, particularly to the military personnel of the Sergeants’ School. He soon felt the need to start a repair shop as well. That’s where the first prototype of a military boot came from, initiating a manual then a mass production under the name of Palmilhado Boots.
The company’s early production was focused on military shoes, then the other brands were added. Today Palmilhado Boots has 300 employees. The company is based on the city of Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, and has a subsidiary in Pratápolis, Minas Gerais as well.
Contact Info:
Palmilhado Boots
Phone Number: +55 (35) 32321314
Email: comex@palmilhadoboots.com.br
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
