Geovana Pagel
São Paulo -Plasvale, a producer of plastic containers for household use, based in the city of Gaspar, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, is going to prospect the Arab market in 2005. The first activity will be company participation in fair House & Home Teach Exhibition, to take place between May 16 and 19, in Dubai.
"As we have been exporting for over 10 years, we have already received requests for price quotations and shipping of samples to Arab importers," explained the company export manager, Hilmar Sell.
The company exports its line of pots, bowls, buckets, clothes bins and dustbins to countries in Latin America, Europe and Africa as well as to Canada. According to Sell, up to the moment, the company was more turned to the Americas, including the Caribbean. "Next year we are really going to try to start investing in the Arab countries," he said.
According to the manager, the trip to the Emirates is seen as a first contact and a kind of reconnaissance of the local habits and preferences. "We must learn about the market, talk to importers, know which of our products will have greater acceptance in the Arab countries," he guaranteed.
With annual revenues of around US$ 22 million, the company has ambitious plans for the foreign market. "Our exports are currently responsible for just 15% of our revenues. Our objective is to reach 50% in ten years," he guaranteed. "For this purpose, the company bets on new markets, like the Arab countries," he added.
The manager also explained that in 2005, Plasvale is also going to invest in new products and plans to develop a complete line of products with differentiated design, exclusive for export.
"Apart from quality and competitive prices, the company concentrates on constant innovation, on the development of differentiated products and pursues excellence in the services it provides," explained Sell.
With 25 years on the market, the Plasvale production unit, in the city of Gaspar, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, employs 350 people in an area of 12,000 square metres. The products are distributed throughout Brazil and in over 40 countries.
Abroad, the company works mainly with representatives and local distributors. "In some years time, we are going to supply directly to large supermarkets like Wall Mart," he explained.
National plastics sector
There are around 7,500 plastic transformation industries in Brazil. Ninety seven percent of them have up to 100 employees. Together they employ approximately 230,000 people. In 2003, the sector had a turnover of US$ 9.7 billion. The forecasted growth for 2004 is 4% to 5%.
The sector should also end the year with US$ 830 million in export revenues, a 30% increase over 2003. This growth is greater than that estimated by the Export Plastic program, established in 2003, forecasting an additional US$ 52 million to the US$ 630 million reached last year.
According to the Brazilian Plastics Industry Association (Abiplast), the country per capita plastic consumption is just 23 kilograms per inhabitant/year, whereas in the United States it is 120 kilograms per inhabitant/year. In Europe it is 90, in Mexico 60 and in Argentina 35 kilograms per inhabitant/year.
In 2004, the national plastics sector invested approximately US$ 200 million in expansion and modernization of their industrial park. In 2005, to accompany expansion of exports, they will have to invest double.
Contact
Site: www.plasvale.com.br
