Anuário da Indústria de Implementos Rodoviários 2021

52 D espite all the difficulties in a complex 2020, there is no shortage of success stories in Brazil’s road implement industry. After inevitable shutdowns and job losses, a lot of companies took advantage of the crisis to generate new business and grow. Among the manufacturers that increased production and took on more people are Randon, Rodofort, Truckvan, and HC Hornburg. The paths taken were different, as were the lessons learned from the crisis, but they all got back on top. “We doubled sales between January and December 2020 and tripled monthly production from 67 to 184 items of equipment. We took on more than 100 people, and today we have 287 employees,” says Junior Valdoir Alves Pereira, director of Rodofort. The company ended 2020 with production of 1,350 implements, up by 20% on 2019. The forecast for 2021 is growth of 40% to 50%. With a factory in Sumare, Sao Paulo, Rodofort shut down for 20 days in April 2020 because of a shortage of raw material. It reopened in May, operating Monday through Thursday, but returned to a full week. Alves says the main lesson learned from the crisis is not to put all your eggs in one basket. “Our entry into the bulk segment in 2019 was vital to our successfully getting through the crisis,” he says. Also crucial to overcoming the problems arising from the pandemic, according to Betina Borchart, director of HC Hornburg, was the flexibility to adapt to the unknown. “We learned, above all, that we cannot underestimate the health issue. We have to be more human, to think more about people instead of just revenue and growth,” she says. The human side that emerged from the health crisis is also highlighted by Randon Companies’ CEO, Daniel Randon, in the company’s balance sheet in 2020. “Our people were essential to our ending the year even more united as a team, and even more prepared as an organization,” he wrote. Staffing and raw material - At a time when employees are being valorized, one of the difficulties for the sector has been hiring specialized professionals. Both Rodofort and HC Hornburg faced problems in this area and a shortage of raw materials and components, especially in early 2021. Despite these setbacks, Truckvan sees room to maintain the growth curve this year. “We expect to increase revenue by 30% with the launches of container and tipper lines and the increase in sales of safe rooms,” says the company’s CEO, Alcides Braga. According to Braga, all the production in the first half of the year was earmarked in the first quarter. “The lesson learned from the pandemic is that we always need to prepare, invest, and stock up in the summer for the inevitable winter,” he says. With record revenues of R$ 151 million in 2020, in May Truckvan launched a bulk carrier line, which now accounts for 15% of its sales, and it bought new machines and invested in process automation. “We are most proud of having created jobs during the crisis. We hired more than 100 people and now have a team of 500 people,” says Braga. Randon Companies also took advantage of the crisis to modernize their operations and prepare for better days. “Even in a challenging year, we performed very well, leveraged by our expansion plans and investments in innovation, which remained a focus,” says Daniel Randon. Randon’s assembly division earned R$ 2.4 billion in 2020, up by 5.9% on the R$ 2.27 billion the previous year. Semi-trailer sales rose from 22,460 to 24,326 units, up by 8.3%. People first - HC Hornburg, a maker of refrigerated units used in transporting dairy products, frozen foods, ice cream, and drugs, actually benefitted from the crisis because it operates in segments that saw increased demand in 2020. Betina Borchart says that the company initially reduced headcount but then hired again. “We have 85 employees today, and we are having difficulty finding people. The whole city of Jaraguá do Sul, in Santa Catarina, is hiring, and people are moving here for work,” she says. HC Hornburg ended 2020 with growth of 20% and estimates the same for this year. “Our strategy of maintaining high levels of inventory proved correct for moments like this. It gave us the capacity to get through this period,” says Betina. Back on top GESTÃO | MANAGEMENT | GESTIÓN In a challenging year, companies in the sector maintained investments, increased sales, and drew important lessons from the pandemic