Brazilian, Mexican, Italian, and Colombian companies showcased their products for the first time in the country, seeking representatives to market their brand in the Dominican Republic.
SANTO DOMINGO.- With testimonials of a successful day that made good business connections, the 17th edition of Expo Ferretera concluded last night, bringing together 45 Dominican and international companies that exhibited their products and services for three days.
From Friday until yesterday, Sunday, when the event lasted, attendance was very high, both from the public of the capital and delegations from various parts of the country, who traveled from their communities to the exhibition in which the main brands of the Dominican hardware sector were presented.
"From the inauguration until today, Sunday, it has been a business celebration, and we feel that the Dominican people, the entrepreneurs, the importers, the merchants, and the distributors were waiting for this moment to once again have that business encounter, to find special deals to continue energizing the hardware and construction sector," declared Ana Ventura, general manager.
He said that just as international importers came to present their products seeking to find someone to represent their brand, national importers took advantage of the presence of hardware associations to showcase their products.
“We are pleased not only with the quality and quantity of exhibitors we had, but also with the quality of the public who visited us. We have an average of 45 companies and 82 booths, which for us represents a resurgence of in-person events and events that help to revitalize the economy despite the rising costs of construction materials. This event is being held precisely to present the national market with new possibilities for acquiring products,” said Ventura.
International brands
Five international companies arrived this year to launch their brands in the country and encourage the national market to purchase their products. Tulipas from Italy, fischer and Rugo from Mexico, W3 from Brazil, and Kingspan from Colombia came with the aim of finding a brand representative and showcasing the benefits of their products to the Dominican construction industry.
“We sell solutions, not just parts. We don’t sell sealant; we sell a solution,” stated Gerardo Ramírez, a representative from fischer, who added that his company’s philosophy is to help consumers find solutions to their needs. “We came to showcase our products and find a potential representative for our brand. We can say that it has gone very well; we’ve made some good contacts, and it’s been a very successful experience for us.”.
Fischer, a German company with over 70 years in the market, operates in 120 countries, holds 1,500 patents, and employs 5,400 people worldwide. Its extensive product portfolio includes nylon and metal anchors, chemical and direct fixings, sealants and adhesives, polyurethane foams, barriers and chisels, transparent multi-purpose silicone, and cartridge-operated tool fasteners, among others.
"We came to this fair to open a door for ourselves," said Daniel Galvis of Kingspan, Colombia, who valued his participation as positive due to the contacts he was able to make. Kingspan is a world leader in building insulation and cladding solutions for construction projects that require high-performance, low-carbon solutions.
Vincenzo Ferrara represented Tubliplast of Italy, which distributes pipes and fittings in PPP and Multilayer PEX/AL PEX.
“We came to find a distributor to represent our brand for Rugo, which has been around for over 80 years. We also have Dinasty, which caters to the most demanding segment, and Fontanery, which is more economical. Our products have generated good expectations, and we've identified significant opportunities to work in the plumbing market and for faucet parts. In fact, we already have a representative,” stated Hugo Flores, sales manager in Mexico.
Andre Jensen, foreign trade representative for W3 of Brazil, wants to have their products in the country because they understand it is a good market and "also because the Dominican Republic is very important to us," explained the executive, whose company distributes corporate furniture made of steel, including doors, shelves, cabinets, drawers, and filing cabinets; as well as powder coating.
