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Features like quality, added value, logistic advantages, and free trade render the Colombian construction materials industry a major solution to meet the international market&rsquo s needs.
Expocamacol 2014 proved why Colombia has the most sought-after products in the world. 201 buyers from 24 countries gathered during this trade show held every two years in Medellin, of which 75% were new to the fair.
" The interest for Colombian products and services shows that globalization is one of the ways to expand the domestic industry. Each buyer we brought to the fair entailed a growth opportunity for Colombian entrepreneurs through exports, knowledge exchange, and matching products to their particular demands and requirements,&rdquo stated Maria Claudia Lacouture, President of PROCOLOMBIA Colombia.
Buyers' testimonials are the best indicator for this potential. Companies like Lowes, one of the major retailers of home improvement products and equipment in the USA, not only attended Expocamacol as importers, but also as speakers to tell Colombian producers about their business opportunities and the actions necessary to engage in business.
" We are looking for suppliers and we consider you as potential ones because we can see a lot of possibilities in Colombia,&rdquo explained Justin Folk during his speech. " There is a Free Trade Agreement in place, and the logistics are very attractive considering both costs and delivery times, and we have spotted highly sophisticated companies eager to compete in the market. Nearly 15 million people visit our stores every week, which can give you an idea of the development we can give our suppliers,&rdquo he added.
The opportunity roadmap identified by PROCOLOMBIA spans from Canada to Chile, including projects like malls and housing, where finishes are particularly sought after.
Doors, windows, frames, floors, and piping were some of the products with international demand during the trade show.
According to Marco Antonio Ruiz from Mexican company Moven, business expectations included pre-built modules to assemble offices in different areas, particularly aimed at the iron-and-steel and mining sectors.
" We import a lot from the Unites States, but the Mexican market is already crowded. That&rsquo s why we are considering Colombia we' ve been talking with several companies since PROCOLOMBIA&rsquo s 50th Matchmaking Forum and we are about to seal three or four deals,&rdquo stated the entrepreneur.
But not all business deals are focused in the Americas only. PROCOLOMBIA identified possibilities in other countries like Australia, Hong Kong, India, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Spain, and Angola.
For example, Miguel Augusto Marques da Costa is a family-run business owner whose company has 57 years of history working as a contractor for the local government and in their own projects, including housing. " Angola has no industry, it is just a beginner and we have only cement and bricks, so everything else is imported.&rdquo
They purchase mainly from Europe and China, but the entrepreneur points out that " Distances are almost the same with Colombia I even compared prices and found a very good quality industry. There is much to do in Angola, with pending construction projects like roads, hospitals, schools, and housing.
This is an oil-rich country with a growing construction sector. We need more Colombian products," he added.
