São Paulo – The Iguatu municipality in the state of Ceará is setting itself apart in furniture manufacturing, and wants to sell to foreign clients. In the city there are approximately 40 small and medium furniture businesses, plus a major one, and local leaders are working to promote them in Brazil and abroad.
According to the municipal secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Patrícia Neila Diniz, although they are more domestic-oriented, the businesses are ready to export. They have undergone training and are assisted by the Iguatu City Hall and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae, in the Portuguese acronym).
Most furniture companies in Iguatu make tubular pieces, but all sorts of products are available from the hub, according to Diniz, ranging from higher-end, using finer woods, to the more popular variety. Many of the small businesses supply furniture, components and even services to a major group based in the city, Tubform, which owns the Tubform and Madeform plants. The group has roughly 1,800 employees.
Most businesses in the city, however, have 60 to 80 employees, according to Patrícia Neila Diniz. Located 400 kilometres away from the state capital Fortaleza, Iguatu is an economic hub in the mid-south of the state of Ceará, and is surrounded by 14 smaller cities.
There are nearly 100,000 people in Iguatu, and local leaders are working to strengthen their industry. The City Hall has recently made a 62-hectare area – to be expanded by another 82 – available for businesses to settle in, including furniture companies. The plot is fully equipped with infrastructure is meant to attract international companies in all sectors.
Diniz believes the furniture industry in Iguatu employs approximately 6,000 people. Alongside trade, the industry is the driving force behind the local economy. Local furniture companies supply leading nationwide retailers such as Casas Bahia.
Iguatu furniture has been exported in the past, but right now the enterprises are focused on catering to the domestic market, due to both the strong demand and international economic turmoil.
Contact
Secretariat for Economic Development and Labour
Iguatu City Hall – Ceará
Telephone: (+55 88) 3566 7926
Email: patriciadinizgc@hotmail.com
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
