Manufacturers of prefabricated products to sell US$ 2.3 bi
Valor Econômico - 11/27/2007
After almost two years from the beginning of the boom of real estate residential launches, the industry of prefabricated products starts feeling the effects of what it has been considered as the greatest cycle of growth in civil construction in the last decades. Precisely for almost not operating in the residential segment, the companies of this sector have not experienced the boom of civil construction in the same rhythm as their competitors of traditional works. Nonetheless, with the consolidation of the economy and several companies quickly expanding their businesses, the sector is going through a stage which is considered new by many companies. According to the Abcic (Brazilian Association for Industrialized Concrete Construction), the sector registered an expansion of 15% this year. According to the estimates of the entity, the companies of prefabricated concrete products sold nearly R$ 4 billion (US$ 2.3 billion) in 2007. The rhythm of growth is to continue next year, bets the Abcic. Among the major companies, however, the forecasts are far more optimist. Munte, leader of the segment in São Paulo and one of the three greatest industries of the sector in the country, is increasing the production by 30% this year and believes it will produce 20% or 30% more next year. In Cassol, the largest producer of the sector in Brazil, the optimism is similar. This year the production of the company - which has five plants in the country - may reach 130 thousand cubic meters, 20% more than last year's. Still an exception in the sector, residential works are made in Brazil mainly by means of the traditional construction method, except for the low income companies which are investing in their own industrialization technologies for the production of properties. Currently, what continues giving life to this sector are supermarkets, universities, plants, and distribution centers. On account of that, the sector believes that the boom of the residential developers has had some impact on the sector, but the major responsible for the boom of this last semester was the real warming up of the economy, which is to close this year with a growth near to 5%.