Workshop guides companies in the stone industry to become points of reference for architects and designers

The initiative put forward a new view on the companies’ role in providing technical support to professionals who specify and use natural stones in their projects.

Standing out in the stone market goes beyond having a good product – knowing how to communicate with those who transform raw materials into projects is necessary. On May 12, the “Level Up Workshop: Master the Specification of Natural Stones in Architecture” brought together around 40 professionals from the natural stone industry to show how to turn the qualities of the material into arguments that delight, convince, and create value in architecture and design.

The action was presented by It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone, a project developed by the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). Responsible for the content, architect and urban planner Ana Carolina Andrade, an expert in natural stones, shared her experience of over 12 years in the market, addressing everything from the fundamentals of specification to practices that add value to the product. Her presentation was marked by accessible language and examples that are usable during the professionals’ daily lives.

At the opening of the event, the vice president of Centrorochas, Fábio Cruz, and the manager of the sectoral project at ApexBrasil, Emerson Raiol, reflected on the current scenario for the industry and the ways to strengthen its competitiveness. Throughout the workshop, the focus on bringing companies closer to architects and designers was evident, highlighting how a consistent technical approach may establish the companies’ positions as points of reference in the market, overcoming the traditional role of mere suppliers of materials.

During the workshop, practical applications of natural stones in global architecture were also presented, allowing participants to broaden their view about the creative and strategic use of these materials.

About It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone

It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone is an export promotion program developed by the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). The program, which currently supports 226 companies, aims to encourage and increase exports of Brazilian natural stones, through a set of strategic internationalization actions geared towards promotion, strengthening of the image, and development of the industry in the global market.  Companies interested in being part of the project must visit https://podio.com/webforms/26378838/1995038 to register for free.

About Centrorochas

The Brazilian Natural Stone Association is active in all national demands to increase the competitiveness of the natural stone industry. The organization acts directly by providing support in the procedures related to the presence of Brazilian entrepreneurs abroad, along with commercial and operational activities for the development and evolution of Brazilian companies.

About ApexBrasil

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve these objectives, the Agency carries out several trade promotion activities aimed at promoting exports and valuing Brazilian products and services abroad. They include prospective and trade missions, rounds of negotiations, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits of foreign buyers and opinion formers to learn about the Brazilian production structure, among other business platforms that also aim to strengthen the Brazil brand. The Agency also works in coordination with public and private actors to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors, aiming at the development of competitiveness of Brazilian companies and of the country.