Credit leverage machines. Romi and Atlas celebrate
DCI
The capital goods sector celebrates the growth of the public actions of promotion that should prepare the industry for the growth of the country. The sector will have access to a volume of R$ 80 billion (US$ 45.7 billion) in funding only through the Program for Investment Maintenance (PSI), of the National Development Bank (BNDES). Companies like Indústrias Romi, which can grow 15% this year, recovering the losses had in 2009, and the Votorantim group Metalúrgica Atlas, confirm the trend of reheating of the economy
"The PSI was essential since its first stage to boost the recovery of the market", said Hermes Lago, Machinery Sales Officer of Romi. He said that a great deal of the clients makes use of that type of credit to acquire capital goods. Lago said that sectors such as infrastructure should also leverage the demand, that's why the company launches machines intended for the machining of parts of large size. The improvement of the setting made Romi invest R$ 45 million (US$ 25.7 million) to conclude projects whose pace was slowed by the economic turbulence. Romi, which is specialized in machine tools and machines for the processing of plastics, had profits of R$ 10 million (US$ 5.7 million) in the first quarter this year, a result better than the R$ 7.8 million (US$ 4 million) loss had in the same period of 2009, and that performance should keep on rising.
Another company that sees an improvement in the performance of the sector is Votorantim Metalúrgica Atlas. It has just invested R$ 4 million (US$ 2.3 million) in nearly 50 tons, which will allow the increase of the machining capacity of parts. "These loans are helping the clients", said Paulo R. Pisauro, CEO of Atlas. He agrees the heating is due to the wave of incentives, but he says the economic setting favors the domestic market, and he recalled the steel industry starts its operations aimed at the sector of wind energy, another of the opportunities under development in the country. The domestic demand is responsible for more than 85% of the work carried out by Atlas, and an increase of nearly 10% in 2010, getting to the levels of performance of 2008, is foreseen.
The expectation of the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq) is that the R$ 80 billion (US$ 45.7 billion) begin being released in the middle of the year, and there is also part of the R$ 51 billion (US$ 29.1 billion) available now for the PSI in 2009 according to the BNDES, because only nearly R$ 30 billion (US$ 17.1 billion) of it has been disbursed so far. Lourival Franklin Jr., Director of the Abimaq, said that sectors such as those of agricultural machines, plastics, textiles and publishing are among the ones accessing most of those lines.
In São Paulo, the State Agency of Development of Nossa Caixa Desenvolvimento operates special credit lines with the perspective of releasing R$ 1 billion (US$ 571.4 million) in 2010. Founded little more than a year ago, the institution benefits small and medium-sized enterprises. "The sector of capital goods was one of the first we chose, because it has suffered more with the crisis", said Milton L. Santos, Managing Director of the São Paulo agency, as he recalls the rise of that segment signals recovery in the industry in the country. Power Transmission Industries do Brasil (PTI) has received R$ 8 million (US$ 4.6 million) from the agency. "The line of Nossa Caixa is the best one available in the market offered to companies under development", said José Velozo, Director of the company. He said this is the cheapest option for smaller companies.