São Paulo – Weg, A Brazilian electric engine manufacturing company, shipped a 110 tonne transformer to Saudi Arabia last week. Due to its size, the product caused a commotion at the Port of Navegantes, in the state of Santa Catarina, where it was shipped. Weg also has its head office in the state, in the city of Jaraguá do Sul. According to information supplied by the press, this was the first direct sale of the Weg’s Transmission & Distribution unit to Saudis.
According to the Brazilian company, the transformer is 100 MVA and was purchased by the Rajhi Steel, a steel manufacturing company based in Jeddah. The sale was closed halfway through last year by Weg’s International Sales coordinator, Carlos Saba, and by the head of Power Calculation, Ronaldo Bertoldi, who travelle to the Arab country. According to information disclosed by Damco, the logistics company in charge of product shipping, the transformer headed to Saudi Arabia in the Maersk Dabou vessel.
Weg manufactures electric/electronic industrial equipment, including low and medium voltage motors, motors for household appliances, paint and varnish, and operates in energy generation, transmission and distribution. In the first quarter of this year, the company posted 1.1 billion Brazilian reals (US$ 603 million) in gross operating revenues, of which domestic sales generated 801 million reals (US$ 439 million), and exports totalled 330 million reals (US$ 181 million).
Weg is already a traditional supplier to the Arab countries. The region, however, is not among the company’s leading foreign markets, according to the company’s balance sheet for the first quarter. Out of Weg’s overall exports from January until March, 35% went to North America, 19% to South and Central America, 30% to Europe, 8% to Africa – where some Arab countries are located – and 9% to Australasia. The share of sales to Africa has increased when compared with the last quarter of 2009, when sales to the continent accounted for 5% of the total shipped.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
