São Paulo – Shoemaking company Toni Salloum, from the city of Franca, São Paulo, is betting on increasing its sales to the Arab world. The company has supplied the region for approximately 30 years now, and is now working with a strategy to step up its shoe sales overseas.
Toward the end of next month, Toni Salloum will engage in business meetings with Middle East importers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in an action sponsored by the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados) and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).
“Virtually 100% of our Middle East sales are of our own brand product,” said export manager Cícero Castro. The executive remarks that the Arabs mostly buy the comfort line and favour basic colours: black, coffee and light brown. The models sold are mostly laceless ones, he says.
The bulk of Toni Salloum’s production is men’s shoes, but the company also manufactures women’s boots. All products are made from leather. The primary raw material is bovine hides, but goat hides are also used. The enterprise’s manufacturing unit is located in Franca and has capacity for 2,000 shoes a day. The plant has 120 to 150 employees.
Established in 1969, the company has been exporting since its early years, in the 70s. According to Castro, product has been shipped to over 60 countries in all five continents. At this time, major international buyers include the Middle East, United States and Europe. However, the export manager says destinations are various.
In the Arab world, the top buyers are in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, which distribute the product to other countries in the area. Some customers in countries such as Oman also buy smaller amounts. Currently, Toni Salloum is working on breaking into Asia and Oceania too, according to Castro.
The company is family-run and was founded by brothers Toni and George Salloum. Currently, the owners are the founders’ sons, whose names are Toni and George, like their parents’.
Toni Salloum
Telephone: +55 (16) 3707 0500
Website: www.tonisalloum.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
