The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) promoted last night, November 23, in São Paulo city, in the southeastern state of São Paulo the award presentation ceremony for its Excellence in Exports Prize.
Awards were granted to Apex’s partnering institutions that stood out in seven different foreign trade-related categories. More than 30 organizations applied for the award.
According to Apex, approximately 500 people attended the event, including the Brazilian Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan and the president of Apex, Juan Quirós.
The winner in the "inclusion of new companies" category was the Brazilian Association of the Manufacturers of Medical, Dental, Hospital and Laboratory Products (Abimo), which included 73 new exporting companies since 2003, a 194% increase.
The award for "outstanding action in commercial promotion" went to the Brazilian Beef Export Industries Association (Abiec), which organized the "Brazilian Beef Experience" at the Sial trade show, in Paris, where visitors had direct contact with the Brazilian meat industry and the country’s culture.
In the "opening of new markets" category, the winner was the Brazilian Association of Independent TV Producers (ABPITV), which opened 22 new markets, mostly in the United States, Canada and France. One of its successful cases was that of TV Pingüim production company, which made a US$ 4.8 million production in partnership with a Canadian company.
The award for "market consolidation" was granted to the Act Minds Consortium, comprised of information technology companies. The Consortium consolidated its presence in the US market, and its partnering companies increased their sales to the US by 375%.
The "commercial intelligence" award went to the Brazilian Association of Shoe and Leather Components Industries (Assintecal), which garnered a wide range of information on over 20 different markets, and then passed it on to its associates.
The "value-added product" category was won by the Brazilian Fruit Institute (Ibraf) and by the Renar Maçãs apple company, which managed to include its fruits in a United Kingdom school meal program entitled "5 a day," creating special packaging and supplying smaller apples than the ones commercialized in England, thus making it easier for children to consume their product.
In the "social impact" field, the award went to the Union of Fibre Industries from the State of Bahia (Sindifibras), thanks to its sisal industry, which generated 7,100 new jobs in a year.
Apex granted two honorable mentions as well, one for best performance of its Distribution Centers (DCs), which went to Weril Musical Instruments, based at the association’s DC in Miami; and another mention for "project management" to the Brazilian Plastic Institute (INP), which promotes its Export Plastic program since 2003, in partnership with Apex.
Among those present at the award ceremony were the presidents of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Antonio Sarkis Jr.; of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), Paulo Skaf; of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), Jeanine Pires; of the Brazilian Foreign Trade Association (AEB), Benedito Fonseca Moreira; of the Brazilian Postal Service, Carlos Henrique Custódio and of the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), Paulo Okamoto.
Also attending the event were former president and current treasury director of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Paulo Sérgio Atallah, the Chamber secretary general, Michel Alaby, and the Chamber director, Wladimir Freua.
Anba