São Paulo – The firm Blu offers mineral water supply to buildings and it’s looking for partners in the United Arab Emirates to enter the local market. Based in Fortaleza, state of Ceará, the company has created a different supply system, in which drinking water arrives at the apartments and offices by the building’s pipelines for a monthly fee.
Blu was created 15 years ago by entrepreneur Henrique Hissa and it has implemented the system in over 200 buildings. The service is being offered in the northeast, south and southeast regions of Brazil, but Hissa is planning to take it abroad. His plan is to go first to the UAE since, according to the entrepreneur, the Arab world holds the top spot for the world’s highest per capita consumption of mineral water. After the UAE, his next target in China, the world’s top mineral water market in volume.
Blu submitted a patent application in the UAE two years ago. Hissa visited the country three times already and contacted large local contractors, especially from Dubai. “There’s an interest,” said the entrepreneur. However, to begin to offer his services in the local market he needs a partner in the region, who could be a representative, partner or investor.
According to Hissa, his proposal’s environmental appeal has attracted attention in the Arab country. The project for the installation of Blu’s system in the UAE establishes that the water would not come from Brazil, but bought from local suppliers, says Hissa. He already contacted possible suppliers and they were interested in his project.
Blu’s mineral water system makes use of its own stainless-steel reservoir and pipeline, so the water can reach the apartments and offices. A device is then installed in each unit and it can even serve ice-cold water. The water can also be directed to a tap in the wall or to the fridge’s own tap.
According to Hissa, Blu offers a monthly analysis of the water’s quality, conducted by a lab. This analysis is sent to the customers along with the bill. Consumers pay a fee or a monthly subscription for the use of the water, which can vary from 50L to 30L, according to their needs, with the cost, in Brazil, starting at BRL 30 (USD 8.04).
The system can be installed in buildings under construction or already finished. With the former, usually the installation is already included in the project and is paid by the construction company. In the latter case, the tenants can pay themselves for the system’s installation. Hissa says that the costs, in Brazil, range from BRL 500 (USD 134.05) to BRL 900 (USD 241.29) per apartment.
The business idea came when Hissa realized that the use of plastic containers for mineral water supply wasn’t very convenient nor sustainable, even though was the system used throughout the world. “I researched for more practical solutions but couldn’t find neither in Brazil nor in the international market,” he says. That’s when he had the idea of mixing the convenience of supplying mineral water through a pipeline with the environmental issues, avoiding the use of plastic bottles or containers.
Blu is expanding its business across Brazil. Currently, besides its headquarters in Fortaleza, the company has opened branch offices in São Paulo and Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte. It’s planning to open more local offices via franchises, increasing its presence in the south and southeast regions of Brazil.
Contact:
Blu – Mineral Water Supply System
Website: www.sistemablu.com.br
Phone: +55 11 40209500
Email: henriquehissa@sistemablu.com.br
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani