The civil construction industry started to show improvements last year, once again. According to the study of Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI, National Confederation of Industry), “Investimentos na Indústria 2019-2020”, 74 percent of the largest Brazilian companies invested in 2019 and 64 percent of them are satisfied with this contribution. Also, according to the same study, 84 percent of big industries intend to invest in 2020, the highest number of the last six years.
The investment plan goals include improving productive processes (36 percent) and increasing the production line capacity (23 percent). Another CNI – Sondagem da construção research shows that the confident index of the Brazilian construction industry entrepreneur reached 64.7 points in January, the highest value in the last ten years.
In addition, based on the research, investments expected for 2020 include the purchase of machines and equipment, research and development, product or process innovation. It’s known that the construction industry is one of the largest flat glass purchasers in Brazil.
According to Associação Brasileira de Distribuidores de Vidros Planos (Abravidro), the last panorama of the plain glass industry, which provides data from 2018, showed improvement in two items, produced volume (1.9 percent) and invoicing (8 percent), last year. Despite matching previous results, data have shown how the industry is achieving good numbers as before.
Flat glass categories include tempered glass, which stood out in 2018 and it was the main product among the non-automotive processed glasses, with more than a half of the national production (53.9 percent). Mirror comes next with 28 percent and laminated with 10.9 percent.
Cebrace, one of the flat glass industry leaders, believes that 2020 will begin with positive expectations and will recover the civil construction industry. “The glass industry has positive expectations. We observe this moment with our feet on the ground. Our projects are moving forward, and we bring news to the industry,” said Mônica Caparroz, marketing manager at Cebrace.
The company also believes it is a good moment to restart interrupted projects, mainly on the technological innovation side. “It is a moment in which construction and architecture industries are increasingly understanding the benefits of glasses produced with nanotechnology for the Brazilian climate, such as the possibility of gathering thermal comfort, energy saving and enhanced design for projects in a single product,” added Mônica.
Another company active in the civil construction sector, in the ironware and access system management industries, dormakaba, is also excited with the expectations for this year. “We expect the market not only to heat civil construction but also other industries. We believe in the investment recovery of large and medium-sized companies, in retailing growth and tourism increase. We continue investing in research and development of new products to serve all segments,” stated Miguel Kahn, LATAM marketing and e-commerce manager at dormakaba.
Events strengthening the industry
The two mentioned companies will participate in the main event of technology and design for plain glass in Latin America, Glass South America 2020. This event gathers all the productive chain, including the industries of machines and equipment, tools, plain glass, photovoltaic energy, ironware, and accessories.
For Kahn, Glass South America is an important fair in a company’s schedule. “The meeting of companies, suppliers and customers is always very productive to stimulate the industry. We believe that the Glass might be the confirmation of the market recovery that has been shown to us, not only in the generation of new business but also in the release of new products,” he said.
For Mônica, however, strengthening relationships through events is one the most relevant points. “Glass is the most important glass industry event in South America, not only because it gathers all the industry professionals, but it is also an opportunity to fortify relations with all the chain, show releases, exchange information with customers and prospects, generate new business and get insights for the development of new products.”
Person-in-charge for the event, Alexandre Brown from NürnbergMesse Brazil, is also optimistic towards the event, 3-6 June 2020 in São Paulo. According to him, the event grew 5 percent in comparison to the last edition and it includes 20 new exhibitor companies. “Glass South America is still the industry leader, and it is known as the glass industry main stage. Our differential is that our visitor is able to find all glass industry solutions from machines, accessories, ironware to plain glasses, with the most updated technologies in the world,” concluded Brown.