64 2016 To grow and standardize Anfatre presents its first achievements and goals. Among the goals are the development of the sector, the certification of companies and standardization of products One of the newest business entities in Brazil, the National Association of Trailer and Hitch Manufacturers (Anfatre) completed its first year of operations on January 26, 2016. Headquartered in São Paulo (SP), Anfatre operates in the trailer and hitch, components, and service segment. At the time this edition was closed, it had 30 member companies. There is a lot of potential for growth. After all, the sector has about 2,400 companies, of which approximately 2,000 have not yet been certified, says Arndt Budweg, coordinator of Anfatre. He says the segment that Anfatre is in has a history of steady expansion over the last 15 years. In its most recent golden period, between 2000 and 2013, the sector grew by 185%. In the last two years, however, growth was only 2%, but given the current situation, this is an impressive number, says Budweg. As for the outlook for this year, Budweg says there will be “stagnation or a slight fall on with last year.” Despite the circumstances, the segment is still evolving. The fact that there are still a lot of uncertified companies stems from the lack of inspection. “There are still a lot of clandestine manufacturers and fake licenses for sale. This hits quality, creating the risk of serious road accidents,” Budweg says. “One of Anfatre objectives is precisely to combat these practices, seeking more safety and fairer competition between manufacturers,” he adds. To this end, Anfatre has been working with businesspeople in the sector and in segments that are in some way linked to the entity. Budge says that since the foundation of Anfatre, he has had several meetings. Last year the organization took an active part in Fenatran, the largest transport trade show in Latin America., with its own booth. “Some of our directors had meetings with the Brazilian Technical Standards Association (ABNT) and the National Institute of Metrology (Inmetro), seeking their involvement and an opportunity for them to get involved in all matters pertaining to the segment. We have the support of the Interstate Highway and Railroad Material and Equipment Industry Association (Simefre) and the National Highway Implement Manufacturers Association (ANFIR), through which we participate indirectly, for example, in the Chamber of Vehicular Affairs (CTAV),” says Budweg. For 2016 Anfatre has planned three of its own events for businesspeople and other industry professionals. They will take place in the cities of Curitiba (PR), Porto Alegre (RS) and São Paulo (SP). “We will also work hard with special ABNT commissions to analyze and propose updated standards for the segment. We intend to make various government agencies aware of the illegal licensing issues and the risks of accidents that represent for society, through an updated dossier on our segment,” Budweg adds. Budweg mentions other goals for this year. One is to make safety component certification obligatory (for example, coupling locks). The others are the creation of a space for companies interested in exhibiting (a mini trade show, for example), and creating a targeted publication with important information for the entire chain, including suppliers. Associação Association
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