Locar speeds up plan to grow in maritime sector
Valor Econômico
After consolidating a company born from zero as one of the largest in Latin America in the segment of lease of machines and handling of heavy cargo, businessman Julio Eduardo Simões, owner of Locar, begins to speed up the plan of becoming a major operator in the navigation sector as well. He already operates barges and boats, he has a support base in Ilha do Governador (RJ) and by 2015, of the R$ 750 million (US$ 468.8 million) he plans to invest, he will allocate R$ 250 million (US$ 156.3 million) on the expansion of the number of vessels and setting up of new bases. The goal is to offer from the transport of heavy cargo to support services for the sectors of oil, petrochemicals, mining and steel, among others.
The navigation area is critical for the company to achieve earnings of R$ 1 billion (US$ 625 million) projected for 2015. This year, Locar should reach R$ 550 million (US$ 343.8 million), growth of 58% compared to the R$ 348 million (US$ 197.7 million) in 2010. Cranes still represent most of the income, nearly 60%. While the maritime area stays with only 7%. Special transports (15%) and cranes, platforms and handlers (5%) complete the earnings. The forecast for 2015 is that Sea transport be responsible for 15%, compared to 55% of cranes.
The company already has 14 vessels that make the handling of cargo and carry out special works, such as salvage in Vitória (ES) for Vale - two unloaders of the mining company suffered an accident in Port of Vitória and shipwrecked at the end of the year. The plan is to get to 21 units until the end of 2012 and reach 35 in 2015. Of the total, R$ 60 million (US$ 37.5 million) will be spent on the purchase of six Line Handlers, under construction in the SRD shipyard, in Angra dos Reis (RJ), exclusively for Petrobras. Locar already caters to Petrobras, but it closed another eight-year contract for new vessels, extendable for another eight years. The boats will provide support to the platforms State company has offshore.
But the favorite of Simões at the moment is a pipe layer vessel, called Locar Pipe, which is under construction at the Rio Maguari shipyard and it goes into operation at the end of 2012. At the cost of R$ 55 million (US$ 34.4 million) and participation of the BNDES (National Development Bank), the boat will be used to launch pipelines in shallow waters up to 100 meters of depth, but it may also work as a floating hotel. The vessel will have capacity to accommodate up to 150 people and it will have a heliport, a cafeteria, outpatients clinic and even an exercise room. As regards the new bases of support, there is no definition on the possible locations. The base of the Ilha do Governador has already received R$ 25 million (US$ 15.6 million), representing a total investment of R$ 50 million (US$ 31.3 million). For now it is only used for ships of the very Locar, but the intention is to open it for vessels of third parties.
Simões says the sea modal complements the service it already offered in the transport of heavy cargo on the roads. "We are now able to pick up a part for the refinery of Suape in Pindamonhangaba (SP), take it by truck to the coast, put it on one of our boats and take it up the work site. And should the customer need it, we may also offer engineering services and deliver the assembled part".