10/01/2008 14h23
Copersucar becomes S.A. and draws alliances
Valor Econômico - 10/01/2008
Copersucar, the biggest world co-operative of sugar and alcohol, presents itself today to the market with a new garment. The co-operative disappears, being replaced by Copersucar S.A., the greatest Sugar and Alcohol Company of the country, ahead of Cosan. The 33 plants associated to the co-operative are now shareholders of the Produpar holding, which starts controlling the giant. The company is born with annual sales of R$ 5.7 billion (US$ 3 billion) and investment programs of US$ 1 billion for the next three years, mainly in logistics. The group's goal is to triple its size until 2018, going from the 79 million tons of sugar cane currently processed to 200 million tons - a growth that should happen with the entrance of new shareholders (plants) in the holding. The decision of becoming a company was considered vital for the group's expansion project. "Our main challenge is to grow", said Copersucar's CEO, Luís Roberto Pogetti, to Valor. According to Pogetti, Copersucar's goal is to reach 30% of the Brazilian market share of sugar and alcohol in ten years. As a company, Copersucar will be able to make strategic alliances and attract new shareholders and investors. Although Copersucar does not confirm it, one of the partnerships that can be made is in the area of fuel distribution. If it is confirmed, this partnership may involve a national or a foreign group. Or both. According to Pogetti, there are conversations in progress for the entrance of new plants as shareholders of the holding. "To reach the 200 million tons of sugar cane (in ten years' time), we will have new partners and the current shareholders will also have new projects", he affirmed. Founded in 1959, the Co-operative of Sugar-cane, Sugar and Alcohol Producers of the State of São Paulo (Copersucar) had first ten plants in the state of São Paulo and two regional entities. Since 2004, Copersucar started drawing what would be the company in the future. The sale of the União brand, leader in the retail of sugar to the Nova America group in 2005 in order to dedicate itself more to the commercialization and logistics in the sugar and alcohol sector was only the beginning of the process. Later, it decided to professionalize the administration and, almost two years ago, changed its old headquarter, in the district of Moóca, in the East Zone of the city of São Paulo, to a sumptuous building in the middle of the famous Paulista Avenue. "Other changes are in progress", guaranteed Pogetti. Strategic alliances for sugar and alcohol in the domestic and foreign markets are being studied.
