Gary Evans
Will show high-end contemporary

HIGH POINT — A number of furniture makers from Brazil will exhibit at the April  market here, showing U.S. retailers a selection of high-end contemporary furniture available for export.

The exhibitors are part of ABIMAD, the three-year-old Brazilian High-End Furniture Manufacturers Assn., which represents 200 factories. Participating members will have two spaces in the International Home Furnishing Center, H-165 in the Interhall and G-867.

ABIMAD sponsors a furniture show each year in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, and hosts a trade mission of international buyers, including a number from the United States, who attend the show at the association’s expense. Association members at the market here will begin selecting participants and seeking input from American retailers who want to attend ABIMAD 2014.

This year’s show in February exceeded expectations, according to ABIMAD, drawing 9,285 retailers, interior designers, architects and professionals to see new collections, innovations and design trends presented by 167 exhibitors.

ABIMAD said it sponsored 650 Brazilian retailers, paying full travel expenses. In addition, the association sponsored 87 foreign buyers from 40 other countries that attended the show and the International Buyer’s Project, a two-day event of business meetings among international buyers and exhibitors.

Including those who traveled on their own, buyers came to the show from 56 nations, the association said. It said its members are starting to increase exports to various markets, especially the Middle East.

According to ABIMAD, the U.S. market has remained a challenge for its members, who believe U.S. retailers look first to Italy and China.

The association said its members have the capability to adjust production to U.S. specification and requirements. The group noted that Brazilian factories have a specialized labor force, state-of-the-art machinery, an abundant variety of woods and veneers, and good leather.

What’s missing, according to a statement from manufacturers, is “more integration between them and the U.S. retailers in order to cooperate with each other aiming for one common goal: to reach the right product in quality and finishing for a fair price.”

Brazil’s currency, which has grown stronger against the dollar, also has been a problem.

Some ABIMAD members are exhibiting at international shows, such as High Point and soon in Las Vegas, as part of the Brazilian furniture program supported by APEX-Brazil, the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.

The association also is promoting the development of export consortiums, a purchasing department for raw materials and the Hall ABIMAD magazine.

A key component is the Quality for Export program, launched last year and considered by ABIMAD as the most important project for 2013-2014. It aims to improve the image of ABIMAD members abroad.
Members interested in obtaining the ABIMAD Export Seal get help from an expert in furniture exports to analyze and certify qualified companies for the international market.

Certification requires attention to product and factory selection, product specifications and engineering, sample inspection, quality assurance, packaging, product flow, problem solutions and sales and after-sales services.

The association said it has a long-term commitment to the international market, and that the programs stem from the focus of manufacturers on demonstrating integrity with foreign retailers.

For additional information on ABIMAD, contact Rafael Molon, director of international relations, at 55-48-3033-1770 or by e-mail at Rafael@abimad.com.br.