 Over half of CeMAT South America's 213 exhibitors came from outside Brazil. |
Traditionally held in Germany, China, Russia and Turkey, the inaugural CeMAT South America, held this month, attracted exhibitors and visitors who know the importance of the Latin American market.
About 53% of the show's 213 exhibitors were from outside Brazil, while approximately 10% of the 12,512 visitors came from overseas. The countries that contributed the largest overseas visitor contingents were the US, Uruguay, Italy, Columbia, China, Germany and Chile.
CeMAT South America hosted 64 live demonstrations at an open-air site and featured the International Intralogistics and Supply Chain Forum, an event for COOs, VPs, directors, and logistics and supply chain managers that addressed economic and logistics issues.
Still GmbH CEO Bert-Jan Knoef says the main companies that represented the German manufacturer's equipment were exhibiting at the fair. "We hosted at our stand visitors from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay during the first day of the event. [We think] CeMAT South America will become the main international fair for the sector in this region."
Clark Material Handling Brazil president Euclides Azenha says his company was looking for new materials handling events and the fair "appeared at the right moment". "This year, CeMAT South America was Clark's main tool to expand sales."
Jungheinrich international director Michael Weigand says South America is "a very important market" and the expo "put us in direct contact with our target group".
Weigand adds that Jungheinrich's goal in participating in the show was to display the company's strength and improve its relationship with the local market.
Cascade do Brasil president Ramatis Fernandes says his company could not miss the first CeMAT South America as the CeMAT brand is internationally renowned. "Cascade as a global company [took] advantage of this excellent exposure."
Materials handling companies that exhibited included Toyota, Hyster, Yale, Linde, Exide, Demag Cranes, Knapp, Stahl and Tailift.
One of the major beneficiaries at the event was Finnish materials handling equipment maker Oy Meclift Ltd, which expects to sell most of the machines it produces this year to the Latin American region.
Sales manager Heidi Savolainen tells
Forkliftaction.com News that the ML 1612R variable reach truck, which Meclift showcased at the expo, attracted considerable interest from many visitors and "at the end of the fair, almost all production capacity of 2011 was sold to the growing market of Latin America".
"We don't want to give exact figures since there are still many cases to be closed after some negotiations after the fair. Also, many kinds of lifting attachments have to be designed according to customers' needs," Savolainen says.
"In any case, most of the machines manufactured in 2011 will be delivered to Brazil or other Latin American countries," she adds.
The ML1612R reach truck was launched in 2005 but the unit was first sold in Brazil in 2009. Meclift later signed a distribution agreement with F&F Comércio e Representacões Ltda in 2010. Meclift and F&F participated together at the expo.
"Our aim was to introduce the unique ML1612R to the big players in the materials handling and logistics sector of Latin America and certainly this aim was achieved," Savolainen says.
Meclift estimates that 95% of its turnover comes from export sales. Brazil is currently the largest importer of its machines.
Armanzéns Gerais Columbia S/A in Santos Port loaned its brand-new ML1612R to Meclift for display at CeMAT South America.
CeMAT South America debuted on 4-7 April at the Imigrantes Exhibition Centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The materials handling and logistics show hosted 213 exhibitors from 20 countries in up to 16,000 sqm (172,223 sqft) of display area. The show's visitors came from 32 countries.
CeMAT South America is an international offshoot of CeMAT Hannover, the world's leading intralogistics fair. It was organised by Deutsche Messe in cooperation with the Brazilian logistics association ABIMAQ (Chamber of Material Handling) and VDMA (German Machinery and Plant Manufacturing Association). The show will take place again on 19-22 March 2013 at the same venue.