www.paintshow.com.br
14
Julho 2010
PAINT & PINTURA
Clipping
Chemical Distribution – Prodir
A responsible commitment
Created in 1987 in Canada by the Canadian Associa-
tion of Chemical Distributors (CACD) and adhered to
in 1991 by the United States through the National
Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), the
Responsible Distribution Process (RDP), was adap-
ted for the Brazilian reality and adopted in Brazil in
2001, where it has been renamed Responsible Distri-
bution Program and is known for short as Prodir.
Prodir is focused on people, safety, health and envi-
ronment protection. “Prodir is a management system
for the companies in the industry to safely handle
chemicals and petrochemicals. It is program based
on codes and practices which, upon implementation,
are to govern the actions of companies in all aspects
of chemical and petrochemical distribution,” explains
Rubens Medrano, president of Associquim-Sincoquim.
The importance of the program has been recogni-
Strong recovery
T
he figures reported for the initial months of the year confirm Brazil’s outstanding economic
recovery, and in fact represent one of the best performances in the world, with growth of 9
percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period of last year. The country’s
gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 2.7 percent in the fourth quarter, a substantial rate that
demonstrates that the crisis has ended, and economic growth has been resumed. The expected GDP
growth rate for 2010 is 6.5 percent.
The paint industry is no exception. According to data provided by the Brazilian Association of
Paint Manufacturers, known for short as Abrafati, paint sales increased by 15 percent in the first quarter of
2010 over the same period of last year. With such an excellent performance, Abrafati had to review the forecast
it published at the end 2009, a growth rate of 3.5 percent for 2010, which is now estimated at 7 percent due to
steaming sales and bright prospects for decorative paints, as well as automotive and industrial coatings.
After a long and painful period of crisis, we can breathe a sigh of relief now that these surprising results for
the first quarter of 2010 are announced, as they represent the peak of Brazil’s economic upswing. While fore-
casts for the second half of the year are a little less optimistic, even indicating a little slowdown, our country’s
economy shows a trend towards balance and sustainable growth.
To those who lost confidence in our nation, that is proof that we can overcome any barriers. For overcoming
the 2009 crisis so fast, Brazil has become a target for major investments and developments. All we have to do is
persevere and believe that Brazil is going to catch up with the First World some day!
Enjoy reading!
Lucélia Monfardini
zed by the entire chemical distribution value chain,
with the first memberships dating back to 2001, the
year of its implementation by Associquim. The first
members had a special three-year period to adapt for
the program, as today’s regular period is 18 months.
By the deadline, they had met all requirements, and
were then approved and certified by independent
certifying entities in 2004.
According to Medrano, the chemical distribution
business in Brazil is currently at a maturity level
comparable to that of the American and European
markets. “As I said in my opening speech at Edbquim,
it is really important for the distribution business-
men to urgently commit to applying sustainability
standards to their businesses,” he says.
Measures Needed
As a mandatory condition for receiving the Prodir
certification, a company needs to be a member of
Associquim and adhere to the system. Once a com-
Editorial