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Weblog July 2010
Winning the Battle for Business in Brazil’s Booming Market
Brazil is one of four emerging “BRIC” countries, (along with Russia, India, and China), where business is booming. Deep water oil and gas fields, discovered in recent years, have propelled Brazil into the big league of oil-producing nations. During 2010, Brazil's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is likely to increase by 6-7%. There is no crisis in Brazil – rather, the days of “a sleeping giant” are over. Now, everyone wants to dive into this market. As a result, it's a battle for business in Brazil.
Along with this economic surge, Brazil is also experiencing a sort of national awakening. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is Brazil’s icon of hope: A working class hero with no formal education, Lula has been Brazil’s 35th President for almost eight years. During his administration, he has made the build up and strengthening of local shipbuilding, naval, and offshore industries a top priority. With an 80% approval rating, President Lula is seen as a leader who cares deeply about his people and who is committed to strengthening local industry.
As a result of President Lula’s leadership, Brazil is experiencing a shift in focus from importing to building naval and offshore vessels locally, as a way of empowering Brazil’s people and building up a home-grown industry. This means that instead of bringing most drilling and production platforms in from the Far East, as they once did, because they could be fabricated cheaper there, most of these platforms are now being built inside Brazil instead.
Dockwise’s flexibility allows us to succeed in Brazil’s changing and competitive market. Our focus here is to assist our clients in finding the best solution for fabrication concepts, in accordance with the size of our vessels. However, we look beyond the drilling and production platforms and work to provide value to our customers in the mining industry with logistical management solutions as well. The Brazilian market is not geared towards quick and easy success. But you can win. It just takes patience and hard work.
It’s a battle for business in Brazil. And what sets us apart from competitors is our flexibility and continued focus on our clients: Listening to their needs and being solution oriented is part of how we do business every day here in Brazil. Focusing on our clients means building relationships based on trust – and continuing to nurture these relationships beyond the sale.
We’re committed to helping Brazil continue to grow. And by continuing to focus on building relationships at the local level, as well as by continuing to help Brazil build up their country and rebuild their naval and offshore industry, we demonstrate that we are here for the long haul. And that's the key to our continued success here. We’re investing in the long-term growth of the country and its people. As a result, in the long run, Brazil will be an important part of Dockwise’s global portfolio.
Marten Dresen
Business Development Manager Brazil
