São Paulo – Being small was not an impediment for Prolife International, a hair product manufacturing company based the city of Belo Horizonte, to break into the Arab countries, one of the most coveted cosmetic buying markets in the world. The company first entered Tunisia last year, started selling to the United Arab Emirates a few months ago and has sent items to test the Jordanian market which are set to arrive this week.
“They were very receptive and insisted on our sending the samples promptly,” says the company’s international director Fernando Gualberto regarding Arab buyers. The director says Prolife is intent on branching out in the region and in exports as a whole, but wants to go about it sustainably, considering its small size.
In order to sell abroad, Prolife advertises its products online, and takes part in international matchmaking events and exhibitions. The Arab market was not on the plans, but was a welcome development. “We didn’t know much about the Arab world, all we knew was they are Muslims. We were surprised when the contacted us,” he says. Now, the company plans on leveraging its sales by taking advantage of the region’s consumption potential.
Currently, 10% of Prolife’s output gets exported. The company first started selling abroad two years ago, to Latin America. Prolife placed a bet on the international market to set itself apart on the market and the first countries to purchase its products were Panama and Costa Rica. Presently, aside from the Arabs, the enterprise also sells to the Latino community in the states of Florida, California and New Jersey, in the United States.
Prolife was established in the year 2000 as a manufacturer of disposable products for beauty parlours, such as files, caps, gloves and others. The company’s buyers started asking for other types of products, and in late 2008 Prolife took to making hair cosmetics. Later on, the company reduced its disposables production and then sold the operation.
Currently, Prolife makes products for professional use and retail. It has a portfolio of 80 items, but the flagship is its hair straightening line, followed by colouring products. Products include colour removers, shampoos, post-colouring products, humectants, treatment masks, hydratantsand and hair botox. The straighteners are free from components considered hazardous to the health of consumers and beauty professionals, do not contain formaldehyde and comply with legal requirements, according to Gualberto.
Contact:
Prolife International
Website: www.prolifeinernacional.com.br
Telephone: +55 31 3499 2000
Email: prolifeinternational@prolifeinternational.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum