While awaiting the result of a public tender in Egypt, for the export of 416 containers of tomato extract, generating revenues of approximately US$ 2 million, representatives of trading company Double Port, based in the city of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, Brazil, are going to cover, as from February 8, the Middle East and North Africa.
For two months, they are going to promote the products of brand ‘Goods Brazil’, created in partnership with two companies in the Plenaventura group, from the southern Brazilian state of Paraná.
The companies are Laticínios Rio Bonito, which makes cheese, and Mix & Spices Alimentos, which makes powdered juice, tomato extracts and seasoning.
The ‘Goods Brazil’ package has been developed exclusively for the Arab market and its main colours are green and yellow. All the information regarding the product is written in Arabic and English.
“We established the partnership with the two companies as soon as we returned from Algiers, in June 2004,” explains one of the company partners, Reyadh Nassir Hanna, who is Iraqi and has been living in Brazil for the last 20 years.
At the time, despite having only market prospecting as a target, the trading company made contracts for the total of US$ 150,000 in food products and juices, chocolate drinks, jelly, flans and cake mixes.
“The main objective of the trip last year was to identify what the products that are in greatest demand in the Arab market are now. This time we are travelling with full force,” guarantees Nassir Hanna.
The group that is going to travel around the region is also going to include the director of Mix & Spices, Sérgio Mendes, and should spend around 30 days in the United Arab Emirates.
In Dubai, they are going to participate in fair Gulf Food, from February 23 to 26, and will be visiting the main local distributors. “We already have over 20 meetings scheduled,” said Hanna.
At the beginning of the month of March, they will be going to Egypt, where they will participate in Cairo International Fair and will visit local distributors. The return to Brazil is scheduled for the beginning of the Month of April.
“During the two fairs there will be sampling of juices and cheese. Apart from the samples, we are also taking catalogues in Arabic and English, in the same style as the ‘Goods Brazil’ packages.” Explained Hanna. “We are going to close many good deals in the region,” bets the businessman.
According to Hanna, still during the year of 2005, he should return to travelling around the Arab countries. The next destinations have already been defined: Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Syria and Lebanon.
According to the director of Mix & Spice, Sérgio Mendes, the group’s export project for its Mix & Spice and Rio Bonito subsidiaries has been under development for around one year.
“I believe that the time to participate in this market has come,” he stated.
Investment in various areas
The products that are included in the Mix & Spices portfolio are garlic based spices, salt and condiments, special seasoning for sheep, tomato products (extract and sauce), vegetables (green maize and peas), powdered juices, prepared condiments (ketchup and mustard), sweets and dehydrated products (crunchy garlic, granulated garlic and onion flakes).
In Brazil, the products are distributed under brand ‘Tia Anastácia’. “With the objective of opening the foreign market we have created a new line of products, brand ‘Goods Brazil’,” explained Mendes.
Laticínios Rio Bonito is a company turned to the dairy product market, like Parmesan cheese, crostini (baked parmesan cheese), provolone cheese, curds, mozzarella cheese and cheddar.
On the domestic market the products are distributed under brand Rio Bonito and on the foreign market they will also be distributed under brand “Goods Brazil”.
The Plenaventura Administração e Participações Ltda group is a holding that operates in the areas of foods, sales and lease of logistics equipment, construction material (retail stores), agriculture, trade financing, hotel management and shopping centres.
The Plenaventura enterprises are located in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, all states in southern Brazil, and also in São Paulo, and generate over 600 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect.
Trading Double Port
Telephone: (+55 41) 256-6059
e-mail: reyadh@doubleport.com.br
ANBA ”“ Brazil-Arab News Agency