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have vision managers, which are those who know where they want to get and point
the way, strategy managers, who know what needs to be done and create the condi-
tions to make it happen, and front managers, who know what needs to be done and
go there and do it. There’s a little of the three of these managers in all of us, but we
receive training to ensure they stay alive and present in each of us, so that we can have
amuchmore comprehensive vision and get a lotmorework done together as a team.”
One of the main plans for this year is the construction of a distribution center in Caja-
mar, São Paulo. “We’re going to build 90,000 square meters in a total area of 140,000
square meters, an investment of 50 to 60 million dollars. Another plan in our lines of
business is the consolidation of new lines that we incorporated over last year, focusing
on the quality of our customer service,” says the CEO.
Chemistry runs in the Abrantes family, and Fernando Abrantes has been involved with
it for many years, especially “human chemistry,” he says jokingly. “But I always say
that the real chemistry is the one between people, because that is the chemistry that
matters.” After 27 years working for the Ipiranga Group and another four years at
Braskem, Fernando Abrantes is attaining two years of M.CASSAB in February, having
been involved in a major expansion and transformation process that includes a vision
for the future and, most importantly, the mobilization and motivation of a group of
people who now share the same dream. “I feel extremely motivated and challenged,
exact as I like to be,” Abrantes concludes.
Metallic Packaging - Paint Protection Improved by Steel
As some of the best options for paint packaging, metallic packaging materials stand
out for such features as impermeability, safety, easy molding, strength, and practical-
ity for storage and transportation, all not to mention their sustainable appeal, as they
are 100-percent recyclable.
As part of the great expectations for growth in 2014, themarket formetallic packaging
productswill undoubtedly benefit fromthe important events that are set to take place
this year, such as the FIFA World Cup and Brazilian elections. These will strengthen
Brazil’s economy, includingby boosting the consumptionof paints and, as a result, that
of packaging materials as well. In addition, paint cans are some of the most sophisti-
cated printed materials and provide safety, strength and protection during storage.
“The market remains strong. In the paint and coatings segment, metallic containers
have the largest share, while being doors to innovation in terms of ergonomics and
convenience, as in the case of Cerviflan’s metallic pails and rectangular cans,” says the
company’s chief executive officer Vicente Lozargo Filho.
Another factor that has been strengthening themetal packagingmarket is themyriad
of innovations being developed by manufacturers. They innovate by introducing new
shapes, lids, textured prints, and even products that aremore appealing to the eyes of
consumers, while constantly improving the safety features of their products, reducing
their use of raw materials and stressing their environmental friendliness. In addition,
improvements are channeled into optimizing packaging transportation and storage
and making them easy to handle and stack.
World Steel Market
According to the World Steel Association (WSA), headquarted in Brussels, Belgium,
global crude steel production totaled 1.2 billion tons from January to September 2013,
