São Paulo – Ice cream producer Rochinha, which has been successful on the coast of São Paulo for decades, is going to start exporting part of production in early 2013. The company owner, José Lopes de Barros, is in contact with partners in several countries and says that the first destinations for his sorbets will be the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Furthermore, the company is also getting ready to expand operations to other states.
“We have many contacts for export. For a long time we have been sought by companies that may be partners in other countries, but we are not progressing with the project yet as our factory is small,” said Barros, who inaugurated an industrial unit on September 21st, in São José dos Campos, 98 kilometres away from the city of São Paulo. The investment was R$ 8 million (US$ 3 million). Production may reach 200,000 sorbets a day and, thus, may supply the market in São Paulo, in other states and, in future, make the export plan possible.
Apart from the Emirates and the US, France, Portugal and Mexico may be other destinations for Rochinha. In all these countries, said Barros, there are those interested in importing. “We are negotiating to sell to Dubai and Orlando. We already have partners for distribution of our ice cream in these places,” he said.
Exports have not yet started as the company is calculating the cots, and what sales volume will be necessary for profit and the price of the lollies, which in Brazil go for R$ 3,00 to R$ 4,50 (US$ 1.50 to US$ 2.25).
“The cost is high; we are working with a consultant to evaluate the viability of the business. But we want to be prepared for export in the first quarter of 2013,” says the company owner. Barros’ estimate is that 10% of production should be exported in the first year and that two years later, 50% of the total produced should go to other countries.
Rochinha should also expand its distribution, currently restricted to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and get to regions in the country that only know about the ice cream’s fame. That is the case with the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Distrito Federal and the states in northeastern Brazil.
Those reading about the company’s expansion plan, however, do not know that it was born as a small ice cream shop in the city of São Sebastião, on the north shore of the state of São Paulo. It was opened by José Rocha Medeiros, over 50 years ago, and only reached other beaches when one of Medeiros’ nephews opened a small ice cream factory in 1981. Family feuds, however, caused the founder’s nephew to sell the business to a cousin, who sold it to Barros, a construction site manager who wanted to own the factory, in 1992.
Since then, he has invested in the quality of the ice cream, in expansion of the factory and in points of sale. The recipe for success is a secret, but Barros guarantees: the 30 ice creams he makes in Brazil and for export are produced out of selected fruit, not including preservatives, and they have few calories. Apart from the renowned coconut and tangerine sorbet, Rochinha also produces uncommon flavours like avocado, green maize, cupuaçu, peanut, coconut with pumpkin and jabuticaba.
*Translated by Mark Ament
