Since the beginning of this year, Wika Brazil has expanded its marketing responsibilities from Brazil to the whole territory of Latin America. This subsidiary of the German pressure and temperature measurement device manufacturer Wika Group, has been in Brazil for 27 years. Sales last year were up 27 percent over the year before. Exports, especially to Argentina and Peru, were also up.
“By 2010, we hope that 30 percent of our net revenues come from the other Latin American countries,” says Carlos Guapyassú, Wika Brazil general manager. The major vertical markets for Wika include sugar and ethanol, metallurgical, chemical and petrochemical.
The company has also modernized its plant and facilities in Iperó, in São Paulo State. “Our vision is to build success in the long term, consolidating a step at a time. And based on that goal, we have the commitment of improving our products, our performance and our services continually”, Guapyassú says.
Home office support
Indeed, this work has been recognized by Wika Group head office that is allowing to the company in Brazil to operate with more autonomy in investments related to its growth. A recent visit of Gerhard Bonn, the manager responsible for the South American market from Wika Group in Germany, underscored the parent company’s commitment.
Wika Brazil will be making “significant” investments this year for expanding and modernizing production capacity and technology, including investments in solder machines, temperature electric sensors production (thermocouple and RTD) and the Metrological Lab for Temperature installation. A good part of the investments will also be for personnel development.
About the author
Sílvia Pereira, [email protected], is a freelance journalist based in Brazil.
