A success story

The change is completed: Now there are mainly slabs instead of blocks. Brazil has developed from a supplier of rough blocks into one of the key producers of semi-finished and finished products of natural stone.

The natural stone industry in Brazil recorded some remarkable success in 2004. Exports of Brazilian hard and soft stones already amounted to 475 million US dollars for the period from January to October, which outdid the total export turnover in 2003 by 50 million US dollars. This is the highest figure ever recorded and corresponds to more than 1.7 million tons of stones.

80 per cent of the ground in Brazil is granite. The stone lies directly below a thin layer of sand or loam. Usable natural stone is available in all colours, from white to black, red to green or yellow to blue.
Companies in the federal state of Espírito Santo are mainly responsible for today’s new natural stone boom in Brazil, which is a production boom. Value creation in their own country is the motto. Rough slabs, tiles, and cut-to-size: These are the products currently manufactured in Brazil. They are produced mainly for export – to the USA, Europe and perhaps very soon China. The federal state of Espírito Santo with 54 per cent of total exports is the leader in this vast country. Espírito Santo alone exported natural stones worth almost 260 million US dollars from January to October 2004, which represents growth of over 40 per cent compared with the same period of the previous year.

Espírito Santo therefore consolidated its position as most important producer. 200 different natural stones are extracted in the 400 quarries here. Almost 60 per cent of the granite gang saws are located in Espírito Santo and 1,250 companies. They employ a workforce of about 21,000, although the state occupies only just under 0.6 per cent of the area of Brazil.
Forecasts already talk of over 315 million US dollars annual turnover in 2005, another record result for this state. An analysis conducted here a few months ago predicts a brilliant future for the natural stone industry. The sector expects average export growth of over 30 per cent within the next five years. This forecast is based mainly on the expansion and privatization of the motorway network. The port of Vitória is also to be extended. This will probably finally make Espírito Santo the largest centre for blocks and slabs in Brazil.