São Paulo – The city of São João Batista, in the state of Santa Catarina, has approximately 25,000 residents. It was peopled by Italians in the 19th century and has a strong agricultural output. However 80% of its economy is linked to the footwear industry. And if it is up to the industry, its shoes should also reach the Arab market. In the municipality, business roundtables and a trade show are promoted twice a year, and in the next series, due November, international guests may include Arab buyers.
According to the executive director of the São João Batista Footwear Industry Union (Sincasjb), Rosenildo de Amorim, importers are usually brought over for the roundtables through partnerships with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) and the Brazilian Association of Shoe Manufacturers (Abicalçados), and on the next edition, the Sincasjb wants Arabs to be among those importers. The last trade show and business roundtable, held in May, were attended by importers from Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Ecuador and Panama.
According to Amorim, last year the shoe manufacturing hub of São João Batista shipped 7% to 8% of its production to the foreign market. This year, he believes that the rate may reach 10%. The increase in foreign sales, according to the executive director, should take place due to the promotion of the business roundtables, and also to the training that companies are undergoing. In 2009, they had training in internationalization by means of a partnership with the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI).
Training programmes will also include sales, in partnership with Abicalçados, and internationalization once again, with the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae). The programmes should start this year, according to Amorim. Presently, the hub exports to South and Central America. It has also sold to European countries, such as Italy and Portugal, and to Japan, according to the executive director of the Sincasjb.
Some of the companies based in the municipality date back a long time, but the hub itself, according to Amorim, was established approximately 25 years ago. Presently, there are 150 companies in São João Batista, which manufacture shoes, artefacts and parts for the industry, and most are small businesses. Their output ranges from 1.8 million to 2 million pairs of shoes per month. According to Amorim, most of the companies use synthetic raw material. The products follow the fashion trends. The entire production consists of women’s shoes, of which 5% are for children, and 95% are for adults.
Contact
Sincasjb – São João Batista – SC
Telephone: (+55 48) 3265-0393
Site: www.sincasjb.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
