São Paulo – Sudati, a plywood manufacturing company based in the state of Paraná, exports its products to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt. Together, these countries account for 40% of the company’s exports, and this year, sales to the region are expected to increase by 20%.
“Our relations with the Arab market are growing,” says Eziquiel Barros, the Export manager for Sudati. “We have plans of attending a fair in the region next year,” says the executive. The company began selling to the Arabs four years ago, by means of contacts made directly and at fairs such as Saudi Build, in Saudi Arabia.
According to him, the Arab market is of great importance to the company. “It is strategic, because other markets are declining steadily. We used to hold a relevant share in the United States. Now, the Arab market is important for us to ship out or production, which we used to negotiate with the Americans in the past.”
Sudati produces 35,000 cubic metres of plywood each month, 85% of which are exported. Presently, Europe is the top buying region for the company, which sells its products to countries such as Germany, England, Netherlands and Belgium, among others. The company also sells to the United States, countries in the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. Saudi Arabia is the leading buyer among the Arab countries.
Barros explains that the Arab countries purchase one single type of plywood, namely laminated concrete cast, a type of plywood coated with a sealant film. The product is used as a concrete mould in large constructions. Last year, Sudati’s sales to the Arabs generated US$ 800,000 in revenues.
Based in the city of Palmas, 372 kilometres away from the state capital Curitiba, Sudati operates exclusively with certified wood, from its own forests and from areas in both Paraná and Santa Catarina. In addition to the concrete moulds, the industry manufactures regular plywood, used by the furniture industry. Established in 1998, Sudati has 2,000 employees. In 2010, the company posted approximately US$ 4 million in revenues.
Contact
Sudati
Telephone: +55 46 3263-8400
E-mail: ebarros@guararapes.com.br
Site: www.sudati.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
