10/14/2008 10h33
Grupo Santos Brasil has cash to invest
Gazeta Mercantil - 10/14/2008
One year after having been acquired by Santos Brasil, Mesquita Soluções Logísticas has plans to expand its work in Brazil. Santos Brasil's development director, Mauro Salgado, said that the company has already structured a project to expand its services in the ports of Vila do Conde, in the state of Pará and in Imbituba, in the state of Santa Catarina. "Mesquita is still a regional company, with work restricted to São Paulo. With the terminals we operate in these two ports it will be possible to offer Mesquita's services", said Salgado, who accumulates the position of managing director of Mesquita. In a well-articulated negotiation, Santos Brasil bought Mesquita by R$ 95 million (US$ 49.2 million) in November of 2007, and it has started to draw some strategic planning for the new company since then. "We have a growth plan for the next five years and I would say that it is ambitious and for it to be accomplished it is necessary that we start expanding Mesquita services", stressed Salgado. Mesquita, founded 80 years ago, works in the port of Santos in the Containers Terminal (Tecon) and in the Distribution Center in São Bernardo do Campo (SP). "Our work resumes itself within an area of 250 kilometers between Santos and São Paulo, but the clients want the expansion of the services", said commercial director Angelo Dias. For this year R$ 19 million (US$ 8.64 million) will be invested in Mesquita in the purchase of forklifts and mechanical horses for the expansion of the fleet. "Additionally, nearly R$ 2.5 million (US$ 1.14 million) was used in the São Bernardo DC to upgrade the site's productivity", said Dias. The São Bernardo DC has a monthly activity ranging between 10 and 15 thousand palettes. For this year, Mesquita foresees sales of R$ 120 million (US$ 54.5 million). In the controlling company, Santos Brasil, the income should reach R$ 800 million (US$ 363.6 million), an amount that is 25% superior to what was obtained last year. According to the executive, Santos Brasil will invest R$ 250 million (US$ 113.6 million) in equipment and improvement of the infrastructure in the Tecon of Santos this year alone.
