São Paulo – The furniture manufacturing company Vamol, based in Arapongas, state of Paraná, has begun selling to the Arab market and plans to enter other countries in the region. The company has exported since 2007 to Egypt, and this year it has started supplying the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Algeria as well. “We are beginning to work on the Arab market, and we have plans to expand. The fair in Dubai has led to several contacts,” says the export manager for Vamol, Cindy Fernandes. The company participated in Index Dubai, a furniture industry show, in May this year, which paved the way for it to enter the Omani and Algerian markets.
The company also began selling to the Emirates after attending a fair, this time in Brazil: Movelpar, in Arapongas. Due to the fact that these deals are recent, the company cannot yet precise how much the Arab market will account for in its total exports. “The first negotiations came to pass in July and August. Thus being, we cannot be sure yet whether sales to Arab countries will account for a significant share of sales or not. It will all depend on the product’s acceptance in each of these markets,” says Fernandes.
The manager notes that although there are plans to hike sales to Arab countries, the foreign market does not react as promptly as the Brazilian one, due to the time required for negotiation, documentation, container shipping, ports procedures, dispatching, storage, and distribution to stores. But Vamol is in talks to enter Qatar, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran, which is not Arab, among other countries.
“These are countries with open economies. They are importing increasing amounts of Brazilian products, especially agribusiness products,” says Fernandes. She believes Arab countries can also be a good market for furniture, because there are not many local manufacturing companies. The manager says that although the Arabs are closer to China than Brazil, they trust the Brazilian product quality and negotiation. To boost sales in the region, Vamol plans on continuing to attend Index Dubai.
The company makes roughly 36,000 pieces of furniture per month and 12% of its revenues originate from exports. Vamol sells to approximately 20 countries, including Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, France, French Guiana, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, and Mozambique. Chile and Peru are the company’s main foreign markets, according to Fernandes. Vamol makes pieces of furniture like home theatre racks, racks, shelves, workbenches, and other living room and home office items. The main raw material is MDF.
The company’s plant in Arapongas has 257 employees, which is home to one of the country’s premier furniture making hubs. The company was established in 1993 under the name Valmoveis, and in the beginning it made only wardrobes. Afterwards, it began making corner racks, and in 1995 it moved to larger quarters, which enabled it to increase output. Two years later, the company moved again to expand even further. Currently, the company is known for its living room furniture.
Contact:
Vamol
Telephone: (+55 43) 3276 9700
Website: www.vamol.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
