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Brazil's Pele Nua, based in the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, produces 5,000 garments a month and already exports to the United States. The company's objective, however, is to enter the Arab market in 2005.
Garment maker Pele Nua wants to sell nightgowns and pyjamas to the Arabs. The company produces 5,000 items of clothing a month, in the city of Volta Redonda, and has just sent samples to be distributed in chains of stores in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Plans for entry into the Arab market are part of the company strategy for growth on the foreign market in 2005. Despite belonging to a micro company, Pele Nua has already been exporting to the United States for two years.
Foreign sales, however, have not yet reached 10% of company production. "Next year we want to export 20% of production," stated company owner Flávio Pessoa Azzi, who is a Lebanese descendant.
The door into the Middle East started being open when the company participated in the International Textile Industry and Fashion Trade Fair (Fenit) this year, in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil.
Brazilian trade representatives, who have contacts with retail chains in Jordan, were intermediaries for the shipping to the country of catalogues and samples made by the company. "We sent six or seven items there around one month ago," explained Azzi.
The shipping of samples to buyers in Saudi Arabia was done through the Bank of Brazil export department which, knowing the products made by Pele Nua, got in contact with the company on hearing about interest by importers in the region in purchasing nightwear.
The company owner is now awaiting a contact by the companies. The material was shipped around three months ago. "The Arab market is a great one, per capita income is high," stated Azzi.
The businessman believes that the company may grow very much through export.
"We are going to start a more aggressive export process next year," he said.
For this purpose, Azzi is changing some of the fabrics used in production of the clothes, such as polyester, to cotton.
"It has greater value abroad," he explained.
The products produced are long and short nightgowns, short dolls, boxer shorts, robes and pyjamas. The clothes are designed by the other Pele Nua owner, Elizabeth Breedveld Abreu Azzi.
More Exports
In January next year, Pele Nua is going to participate in Fashion Business, a space for business meetings and product exhibition that takes place in parallel to Fashion Rio, which happens in Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil.
The company believes that good contacts with foreign buyers may arise at the event. Pele Nua is going to exhibit its products at the stand of the Brazilian Garment Industry Union (Sindvest).
In Brazil, the company products are distributed in all states, except for the northern region. The products are sold on the wholesale market for prices ranging from around US$ 4,00 to US$ 25,00. A total of around 20 people currently work at the factory. Azzi, however, is considering expanding the industry if business rises.
Associated
Pele Nua is included in Sulvest, an association of companies from the southern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, connected to Sindvest, in which 30 garment industries participate.
They develop some joint actions, such as participation in fairs and the purchase of raw material or packaging. Each company has its own brand, but the products also include the Sulvest Rio seal.
The group has plans to build an industrial pole in the city of Volta Redonda. For this reason, they are negotiating the purchase of a piece of land of 100,000 square meters with the city hall.
Contact
Pele Nua
Tel: (55 24) 3342-6100
www.redesulvestrio.com.br/pelenua
pelenua@bol.com.br
ANBA – Brazil-Arab News Agency
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