Anuário da Indústria de Implementos Rodoviários 2018

30 What has changed in the industry and at ANFIR after your two terms at the helm of the organization? It is important to stress that the repositioning of the association and the sector itself, with much more institutional work. We have built a lot of bridges with related entities, such as the NTC, Simefre, Anfavea, Fenabrave and, of course, government authorities. We took part in more general decisions and not just those linked to our world. The sector was obviously as important as it always has been but it was not involved in major decisions, in strategies. It was only in 2013 we were invited to join Fenatran, which is always an opportunity both for our interests and the truck industry. But that changed a lot after 2015, didn’t it? Yes. If we compare the evolution of the association and the sector with the editions of Fenatran in 2015 and 2017, we can see how we became much more relevant and emphatic in this segment. To the point of sustaining the 2015 edition practically alone... Exactly, there was a move being made to not have that edition. But we took it on with the NTC and did it. The trade show even surprised us and some vehicle assemblers and companies in our segment regret not having taken part. While only two vehicle assemblers attended, we had 39 implement makers and auto parts companies. Fenatran 2015 became known as the road implement show, so we received a plaque from the organizers and the NTC for the efforts we made to put it on. And then the following year there was the first edition of the Fenatran Central-West, another milestone we were responsible for. And the scenario changed a lot in 2017? The layout of that Fenatran illustrates the repositioning of forces. When you entered it, the first two booths were two vehicle assemblers that had been in the previous edition and soon after them, in the central portion, a prime spot, were the implement makers. The other truck manufacturers were grouped later. And even the ANFIR booth was as visible as Anfavea’s and other entities. These are symbolic aspects to reflect on the evolution of the sector in this period, which was also marked by a series of more sector-based, objective actions. We weren’t in strong, for example, in the coalition for vehicle sustainability. ANFIR participated in the construction of the fleet renewal proposal and the legislation under study. And what about structural measures? I gave some very focused guidance in that regard. One of the most important efforts was the agreement with Apex- Brasil, which is now in its second contract. The first one was for a year and this one, started in 2017, runs until some time in 2019. It doubled and quadrupled the total amount: it was R$ 1 million for a year in the first version and now R$ 4 million for two years. It is very important because we took some twelve factories out of Brazil, some medium and small. Previously there was a polarized situation in which only three or four companies operated externally. We conducted several missions and business rounds abroad and here. And on domestic front? There were several efforts. We maintained the ANFIR Seal of compliance with standards audited by a third-party. If an implement maker is up to date with tax, accounting, labor and environmental S ales down by two-thirds in just three years, says Braga, have killed off some companies but forged a sector that is now better prepared. “I say the crisis was a lesson, albeit one that cost companies dearly,” he says. The former president of ANFIR, however, believes the highway implement industry is now stronger and will think strategically from now on. And he warns: companies need to think about core business, re-jig their portfolios, focus on their own vocation and the regions they operate in. The time for emotion, of blood racing through your veins, is over. After two terms as president of ANFIR, Alcides Geraldes Braga, is now a board member. The executive, who is also the president of Truckvan, says his time as head of the organization saw a lot of institutional work, structural changes and a domestic market plagued by one of the worst recessions in Brazil’s history. Strategy is the new watchword ENTREVISTA | INTERVIEW | ENTREVISTA