José Maurício Caldeira, of Asperbras, says that the economy will take a turn with the pension reform

After years of minimum growth, the country looks forward the resurgence of the economy with new investments and the creation of new jobs. For José Maurício Caldeira, of Asperbras, the economic improvement is directly connected to the approval of the pension reform in the National Congress, expected to happen later this year. “We have many reasons to believe we will have better perspectives and scenarios in the days ahead”, affirms José Maurício Caldeira.

Even with the unstable economic scenario of the last few years, the Asperbras Group continues investing and is in constant ascension in the market. The company, which started producing agricultural implements for irrigation, diversified its activities and, today, also works in construction and real estate development, mining, power generation and the food business. The Asperbras Group also went international. “This is what the Asperbras Group is all about. It’s the courage of continuing to invest, even in the most uncertain times”, says Caldeira.

The Brazilian economy is at a standstill period and the expectation of a resurgence in investments has yet to be confirmed. How do you see the impact of this situation on the Asperbras Group?

The resurgence of the economy will come with the approval of the pension reform in the National Congress. Approval will generate a positive impact and encourage  national groups to make the previously planned investments, as well as restore confidence in the consumers, who are currently scared to invest and spend their money. There are also other issues being discussed in the political environment with greater ease of negotiation with Congress, such as tax reform, deregulation and privatization. These measures are easier to implement because they require a smaller quorum for approval. But what makes me optimistic about all this is that I am convinced that pension reform will be approved and therefore we have reasons to believe the economic scenario will take a turn for the better.

Entrepreneurs often complain that the business environment in Brazil has many obstacles and little incentive for innovation and entrepreneurship. What’s your view on this?

I recently attended a business seminar where it was mentioned that in the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking – which measures the ease of undertaking worldwide – Brazil ranks 125 out of 190 countries, just behind Iran. As I said, soon after approval of the pension reform, the tax reform will enter the agenda. What is being planned is a simplification of taxes and even a reduction in the tax rates. This will make the business environment in Brazil slightly easier. The post-pension approval agenda is supposed to be positive and will have short-term impact in the economy.

The Asperbras Group has grown a lot in recent years. What is the secret to progress amid recession and low economic growth?

The Group has its separate operations, we have a holding company that controls and manages the business in Brazil and in other countries. In the domestic market, we’ve been working on a different investment path in recente years. We started in 2013, when the country seemed to be in a positive light. During this period, we started three projects. GreenPlac, the largest of them, the Guarapuava Thermoelectric Industry in Paraná, and the expansion of Aspebras Alimentos, with Bonolat. In this period of political stalemate, the fall of oil, problems with Vale and Petrobras, we were making one of the largest investments in the country, with no possibility of retreat. We needed to finish the projects and we completed most of them, including GreenPlac, the biggest in terms of value. Something similar happened with the activities carried out outside Brazil, centered in Africa. We’ve had a loto f growth in recent years, but with reduction in 2016/2017 due to the drop in oil prices. This has led to a reduction in operations that have only now begun to adjust.

Which of the the fields in which Asperbras works that you think has the best prospects for 2019/2020?

If we have an economic recovery within the country, all the fields in which our company operates will have positive prospects, but we’re betting on GreenPlac to have the biggest growth. We’re investing in marketing and in the quality of our product since the beginning of our operations.

The companies within the Asperbras Group invest in technological modernization. How is this initiative reflected in business performance?

Asperbras, within its business, has sought to follow the market in technological evolution as well as implement existing tools. We are investing in communication via Digital Marketing and in the technological evolution of the production lines. Currently, GreenPlac is the most modern factory for the production of MDF in Brazil. In the management part, the group has been implementing partnerships and introducing Public Relations in all its companies. You need to be up to date with every existing tool to have your business connected to what the market demands.