Now we are just seven people, off for a side trip to Rio de Janeiro. What a spectacularly beautiful city! We are right on the coast at Ipanema. We are trying to hit all the big tourist attractions...this part of the trip is just for fun, except for the few economic developers from Portland Development Commission and Greater Portland Inc. who came ahead of us to talk to folks about how Portland can assist as Brazil focuses more on green development.
Oh ... And we ran into another Portland manufacturing representative looking at the potential to have operations in Brazil.
So, a few days of fun (and more good food) and then we are heading home on Tuesday. It was a great trip. Some reflections on our trade mission to Brazil will come later.
Alliance Trade Mission blog
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
The historic city of Ouro Preto
We went by bus to the beautiful colonial town of Ouro Preto, once the Portuguese capital of Brazil. It was here that gold was discovered in the 1600s and people flocked to the region. Now a UNESCO world heritage site, much of the baroque architecture has been preserved and restored, and there are virtually no modern buildings to diminish the historical feeling of the town.
Much of the city, and all of the mining industry that was spawned, was built on the backs of African slaves. That sad legacy is very apparent here.
On the two-hour drive here we saw a lot of mining activity still underway. Brazil is rich in iron ore and other minerals, and in the area of Ouro Preto, there is still mining for precious and semi precious stones, which vendors offer in the open air markets and finer shops.
We returned to our hotel happy that we made this side trip to Ouro Preto, which is truly a beautiful spot.
Much of the city, and all of the mining industry that was spawned, was built on the backs of African slaves. That sad legacy is very apparent here.
On the two-hour drive here we saw a lot of mining activity still underway. Brazil is rich in iron ore and other minerals, and in the area of Ouro Preto, there is still mining for precious and semi precious stones, which vendors offer in the open air markets and finer shops.
We returned to our hotel happy that we made this side trip to Ouro Preto, which is truly a beautiful spot.
Friday, December 7, 2012
ESCO and then onto Ouro Preto
Today, we visited ESCO's plant just outside of Belo Horizonte, where we were joined by CEO Cal Collins and Senior Vice President (and Alliance board member) Jon Owens. ESCO has plants in this region, as well as Northern Brazil, both mining center. ESCO manufactures engineered "wear parts" for mining equipment, those big buckets and diggers at the end of excavation machines. Some are huge.
Their strategy is to locate near their customers, which means they are near mining centers, like Minas Gerais, the state that includes Belo Horizonte. They are in most of the global mining centers, on six continents and 21 countries. ESCO was founded in NW Portland in 1913 and in the last couple of decades they have grown into a major global company.
Brazil exemplifies their strategy. They entered the country in 2007 through a joint venture, and then bought 100 percent of the operations in 2009. They have brought their "lean" manufacturing model and continuous improvement practices to Brazil, and now the plants here are are among the best performing in the company. They have also innovated a practice in Northern Brazil of embedding a team with their customers in the field where mining operations are occurring to make repairs more efficient. Their philosophy: they sell solutions, not just parts. As a result, their market share has grown.
ESCO has more than 500 employees, including 350 in Belo Horinzonte. The workforce is young, with an average age of 33. The plant is run by a Brazilian recruited from one of their mining companies, and the entire team clearly loves working for this great Oregon company.
That was the end of our working tour. Tomorrow: we are off to Ouro Preto, a historic UNESCO site, then to Rio for a couple of days of fun!
Their strategy is to locate near their customers, which means they are near mining centers, like Minas Gerais, the state that includes Belo Horizonte. They are in most of the global mining centers, on six continents and 21 countries. ESCO was founded in NW Portland in 1913 and in the last couple of decades they have grown into a major global company.
Brazil exemplifies their strategy. They entered the country in 2007 through a joint venture, and then bought 100 percent of the operations in 2009. They have brought their "lean" manufacturing model and continuous improvement practices to Brazil, and now the plants here are are among the best performing in the company. They have also innovated a practice in Northern Brazil of embedding a team with their customers in the field where mining operations are occurring to make repairs more efficient. Their philosophy: they sell solutions, not just parts. As a result, their market share has grown.
ESCO has more than 500 employees, including 350 in Belo Horinzonte. The workforce is young, with an average age of 33. The plant is run by a Brazilian recruited from one of their mining companies, and the entire team clearly loves working for this great Oregon company.
That was the end of our working tour. Tomorrow: we are off to Ouro Preto, a historic UNESCO site, then to Rio for a couple of days of fun!
Tour of ESCO in Belo Horizonte
Delegation members Steve and Marsha Strauss touring ESCO's facility in Brazil.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Traveling to Belo Horizonte
We traveled from Curitiba to Belo Horizonte today,
spending most of the day en route. Belo Horizonte is northeast of Sao Paulo, but much
further inland and at a higher altitude.
With 2.5 million people, it is Brazil's third largest city and the capital of
Minas Gerais, Brazil's second-most industrialized state, after Sao Paulo.
The
area was the site of the world's first
gold rush, which brought immigrants - and
slaves - to the area. Brazil's slaves were freed some two decades after
the U.S. abolished slavery with the 13th amendment, and because of that history,
Brazil's population today strongly reflects that African heritage. In fact, the
demographics look much like ours, a mix of Caucasians, Africans and Asians,
with still a mix of original native tribes.
We are here to see ESCO, and tomorrow will tour their
plant. Since ESCO produces mining-related equipment, it makes sense that they
are here in what continues to be a major mining center.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Delegation in Curitiba
The delegation toured the Blount Industrial facility in Curitiba, Brazil. Blount is headquartered in Southeast Portland.
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