Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – Medical-hospital and laboratory equipment producer Fanem plans to install an assembly line in one of the 22 Arab countries. So as to make the project possible, the company is preparing a study to show what country offers the best conditions and the best strategic location. Nowadays the countries in the Middle East and North Africa answer to 40% of the company exports and are the second largest international market, losing only to Latin America.
According to executive director Marlene Schmidt, sales to the Arab countries have been rising significantly due to participation in international fairs. According to her, the visit Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took to five Arab countries in December 2003 is also responsible for closer relations between Brazil and the Arabs.
The owner of Fanem, Djalma Luiz Rodrigues, was included in the presidential party as the president of the Brazilian Association of the Manufacturers of Medical and Dental Products (Abimo).
"We are currently firmly established in the Arab market. We have been exporting to the region for a long time, but sales have only started rising now," guaranteed the businesswoman.
In February this year, the Fanem participated in the Arab Health fair, in Dubai, where agreements for exclusive representation were signed in eight Arab countries, including technical assistance and maintenance in the area. "We made agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco," he explained.
The contracts were signed throughout the year. And another country was added, Sudan, during the Hospitalar fair, which took place in São Paulo, the Brazilian financial capital, in June.
Last week, during the Medica fair, in Düsseldorf, Germany, Fanem exceeded its forecasts and sold over US$ 2 million. The producer also signed a contract with Ukraine and established new distributors in Thailand and Greece, apart from making an agreement to set up an Equipment assembly line in Spain.
"We were visited by representatives from 75 countries, among them some from Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon, and they signed new orders," explained Marlene. "We also took advantage of our participation in Medica to present a new product on the foreign market: Bilitron, the first micro-processed mini-phototherapy equipment of extremely small dimensions, used for the treatment of premature babies," he said.
Main exporter
Of all Brazilian exports in the sector, 93% are by Fanem, which exports to around 60 countries. Based in the city of Guarulhos, São Paulo, Fanem was established in 1924, and generates 250 direct jobs. In Brazil, the company is the leader in the neonatology sector, for newly born children, making incubators and special cribs.
The neonatology products sold abroad are incubators, intensive care units, digital control, air temperature microprocessors, hospital beds, phototherapy, bilispot and irradiating cribs. In the area of laboratory equipment and research, are chambers for blood conservation, chambers for vaccines, centrifuges, autoclaves and sterilizers.
Last year, sales represented 30% of Fanem revenues, which registered export growth of over 70%. In 2004, the estimate is that the total exported should grow by 50%. In 2005, we will go on prospecting new markets. "We are once again going to participate in fairs organized by the Apex (Brazilian Export Promotion Agency) and are going to accompany government missions," stated the director.
Contact
Fanem
Phone: (+55 11) 6972-5700
www.fanem.com.br
