It’s Natural Steering Committee assesses progress and defines new strategies for the sectorial project

The It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone Management Committee met on April 2nd and the agenda included an assessment of the actions taken so far and a debate on future strategies to be followed. The meeting, which took place in a hybrid format, combined face-to-face participants at the Findes Building in Vitória with virtual participants.

Emerson Raiol, sectorial project analyst and manager of the sectorial project for ApexBrasil, who is also chairman of the Committee, began the discussions by highlighting the milestones achieved since the start of the program promoted by the Brazilian Center of Natural Stone Exporters (Centrorochas) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). Acknowledging the efforts and resilience of the sector, he highlighted the diversification of markets as one of the goals achieved, aiming to reach new audiences in addition to traditional actions.

Tales Machado and Fabio Cruz, president and vice-president of Centrorochas, expressed their gratitude on behalf of the national natural stone sector for all the commitment and support offered by ApexBrasil. “The contribution offered by the National Agency is not limited to financial support, it is also essential to highlight all the human and technical effort, which includes offering tools such as market studies and strategic communication,” they said.

The manager of It’s Natural, Jessica Machado, led the meeting by presenting a detailed analysis of the actions carried out between January 2023 and March 2024. A total of 24 actions were identified, some of which stood out for their breadth of impact.

Brazil’s participation in the Big 5 2023 was one of the points discussed. Gustavo Probst, a member of the group, highlighted the increase in knowledge about Brazilian quartzites in the Arab World, emphasizing the importance of a consistent presence in these initiatives to consolidate Brazil’s image as a reliable and quality supplier.

Another noteworthy event was KBIS 2024, the results of which had a substantial impact on the natural stone sector in other countries, which have already sought out Brazil for benchmarking due to its relevant institutional presence.

The strategy adopted at Xiamen 2024 was also mentioned as a recent example of assertive action. As the action was not part of the sectorial project, it was carried out with its own resources. The importance of the market was a point of debate at the meeting, as was the inclusion of this fair in the schedule of events.

New actions

The Steering Committee discussed and voted on the possibility of including new actions in the sectorial project. The items will be taken to ApexBrasil for validation:

– Creation of a showroom in the United States: the inclusion of dedicated spaces for exhibiting Brazilian natural stone in deposits in the United States. The pilot project will begin with operations in a specific region.

– Participation in the Jakarta Surface Show (to be held in June 2024), followed by a Prospective Mission to Indonesia;

– Prospective Missions to Portugal and the USA;

– Inclusion of KBIS and Xiamen 2025.

Reinforcing the ongoing commitment, the Steering Committee will meet again in the first week of July. In time, the current agreement is scheduled to run until December.

About It’s Natural – It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone is an export promotion program developed by the Brazilian Center for Ornamental Stone Exporters (Centrorochas) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion agency (ApexBrasil). The program, which currently supports 202 companies, aims to stimulate and increase the exports of Brazilian ornamental stones through a set of strategic internationalization actions, including promotion, image strengthening, and sectoral development in the global market. Over the past two years, the project has impacted more than 600 architects and designers across three continents: North America, Asia, and Europe. Companies interested in joining the project can access https://podio.com/webforms/26378838/1995038 and register for free.

About Centrorochas – The Brazilian Center of Ornamental Stone Exporters is actively involved in all national efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the ornamental stone sector. The organization directly supports Brazilian entrepreneurs in their presence abroad, in conjunction with commercial and operational activities related to the development and advancement of Brazilian companies.

About ApexBrasil – Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency works towards promoting Brazilian products and services abroad and attracting foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve these goals, the Agency executes a diverse range of commercial promotion initiatives aimed at promoting exports and showcasing Brazilian products and services abroad. This includes prospective and commercial missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international trade shows, visits by foreign buyers and opinion leaders to explore the Brazilian production structure, among other business platforms with the objective of strengthening the Brazil brand.