After fall, Dedini cheers up and foresees growing up to 40%
DCI
After the terror of last year, when sales dropped 50%, Dedini Indústrias de Base is getting its act together and bets it will get refreshed to December, notwithstanding partially. "We foresee the sales will grow between 35% and 40% compared to 2009", estimates Sérgio Leme dos Santos, President of the company. A traditional supplier of machinery, equipment and solutions for the sugar and alcohol sector, and several other segments, the company lived its golden years in the period from 2005 to 2007, when the "fever" of production of ethanol spread through the country. At that time, says Leme, there was so much demand that Dedini started outsourcing part of its production to cater to the power plants that process sugar cane, and also to leverage diversification. "We entered in new markets, such as casting", he recalls. With the crisis that hit the economy, in 2008 Dedini started feeling the retraction of its clients, which led to the drastic reduction of the orders last year.
In that scenario, the group decided to undergo a restructuring. It deeply cut down the outsourcing of production and reduced its personnel by 10%. After the adjustments, Dedini resumed growing and it now bets it will be able to cater to the sugar and alcohol plants in the third wave of the sector: "The next stage, which will not take long, is the new projects that will start producing with great potential for growth", says the President to the company.
With that perspective, and the reheating of the economy, Dedini saw the resumption of the orders on the part of the clients, and foresees a positive second half. "The sugar and alcohol sector is experiencing an optimistic perspective, which also cheers us up", says Leme. "And there are other areas of operation that are also promising, and that strengthens our growth forecasts". One of the bets of Dedini is the supply of parts and equipment, for example, to the hydroelectric power plants that are under construction. Sérgio Leme says the group has a modern foundry, which provides parts of up to 38 tons for projects such as those of the power plants of Jirau and Santo Antonio, in Rio Madeira (Madeira River).
There are other targets for the supply of machines and equipment of Dedini, such as the sectors of oil and gas, chemicals and steel. For the sugar and alcohol sector that has led the Dedini family to create the group in Piracicaba (São Paulo) 87 years ago, the plans include the growth of sales of complete plants and distilleries, besides the sugar plants. As regards the energy sector, the company plans on becoming stronger and stronger in the manufacture and assembly of high pressure boilers for cogeneration and complete plants for the production of biodiesel from vegetable or animal fat. Besides, under the Codistil brand, Dedini provides complete plants for breweries.