eyelash growth

Brazilian group Artecola’s adhesives sales to the transport industry are expected to grow 75% in 2010 compared with last year, group sales manager Marcos Vasques told BNamericas.

Sales have been boosted by new clients, such as Brazilian bus body manufacturer Marcopolo and German filters producer Mann, the executive said.

The transport sector is a relatively new area for Artecola’s adhesives division and the company is expecting sales to grow fast, said Vasques, adding that the sales forecast for 2011 is also for strong growth.

Some 5% of the group’s adhesives division sales are to the transport industry, which also accounts for 28-30% of the sales of all of Artecola’s businesses.

In addition, the use of adhesives in the transport segment has been increasing due to advantages obtained from the use of sustainable technologies. The group has developed a “green” adhesives line, focusing on replacing solvent-based adhesives for water-based ones.

Artecola expects revenues to reach 378mn reais (US$218mn) in 2010, up 23.5% on 2009.

The adhesives unit accounts for 26% of Artecola’s revenues and is one of the group’s leading divisions. The company’s subsidiary MVC, a producer of plastic compounds, accounts for another 26% of sales.

Artecola began operations in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1948. The company has seven production facilities in Brazil and six units throughout Latin America. besides the automotive industry, Artecola supplies the civil construction, footwear and furniture sectors.

Business News Americas