Alpargatas foresees greater expansion and investments this year
Valor Econômico 03/17/2009
Owner of the Havaianas, Rainha and Topper, Alpargatas brands foresees to grow more this year than the 18.7% registered in 2008, when the consolidated gross income of the company amounted to R$ 1.9 billion (US$ 1.04 billion). "We are not feeling the effect of the crisis. Our products have an accessible price and we believe we are going to increase our market share", said Márcio Utsch, President of Alpargatas. The company will invest R$ 109 million (US$ 47.4 million) this year, R$ 89 million (US$ 38.7 million) of which in the Brazilian unit and the rest in Alpargatas Argentina, acquired in October 2008. The funds for both units will be used in the improvement of the production and development of new products. The volume is greater than the R$ 70 million (US$ 38.2 million) invested in 2008. In spite of the increase in the income, the net profit of Alpargatas last year was R$ 173.1 million (US$ 94.6 million), against R$ 211.1 million (US$ 109.4 million) registered in 2007. In the fourth quarter of the year, the net profit of the company achieved R$ 74 million (US$ 40.4 million), an increase of 33% in relation to the same period of 2007. Comparing it with the third quarter, before the crisis, the growth was even greater, since the profit at the time amounted to R$ 40.8 million (US$ 22.3 million). Alpargatas got to the end of 2008 with 215 million pairs sold, 26 million more than what was sold in the immediately previous year.