7 January 1999: According to a recent company press release, the Third Glass South America exhibition was the busiest yet, with 7,074 delegates seeing what was on offer at the stands of over 120 exhib…
7 January 1999: According to a recent company press release, the Third Glass South America exhibition was the busiest yet, with 7,074 delegates seeing what was on offer at the stands of over 120 exhibitors from 11 countries. Held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 18-21 November, the show attracted the presence of glass manufacturers Guardian Industries and – putting aside their traditional rivalry in Europe to share a stand – Saint-Gobain and Pilkington, trading through their Latin American subsidiaries. Despite a problem year financially, which has seen the real (R$) fall up to 30% against the US dollar, there has been no substantial slow-down in commercial construction programmes in the three major cities – Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brazilia – and a projected 3 million new homes in the country by 2005. All are likely to boost glass demand. Guardian particularly are well-placed with output from their recently opened float glass manufacturing line in the Rio district. The biggest investment at this year“s show was by the top European glass machinery manfacturers, headed by Peter Lisec and Bystronic, both with impressive on-line demonstrations. They were backed by the cream of Italy“s principal exporters, who were hosted for the first time by their influential trade association Gimav. The exhibition party included Bavelloni, Bottero, Brembana, Fenzi, Intermac, Lattuada, Schiatti and Triulzi, some of which are nowadays well entrenched with distribution bases in Brazil through Makivetro and other specialist glass machinery importers. A group of 14 US companies took part, of whom eight were making a repeat appearance: Glassline, BOC, Courtaulds, Glasslam, Helima, Ianua, Jackson, Novus, Olimpia, Sommer & Maca, Spectrum, Tru Seal, Urban and Zircon. Attendance was 30% up on the previous year. Exhibiting companies which took space journeyed from 11 countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, UK, US and Uruguay. There was also an increasing presence at this show of window systems and security hardware in a country where window systems are primarily timber and aluminium, and which lacks a home-grown security hardware industry of any substance. Glass South America will move in 1999 to Argentina, where it will form a self-contained section at Fematec, Latin America“s biggest construction show. The last event attracted over 270,000 visitors. The next takes place in Buenos Aires on 3-8 May. Glass South America then returns to Brazil in November 2000. For more information, please contact: USA, Latin America, Far East: Miller Freeman do Brasil Rua Traipu, 657 02135-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil Tel: +55 11 366 22021 Fax: +55 11 826 4458 Continental Europe: Miller Freeman SpA Via Vittoria Colonna 4 20149-Milano, Italy Tel: +39 (0) 2 485918 Fax:+39 (0) 2 485918236 United Kingdom: Miller Freeman UK Ltd Sovereign Way Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1RW Tel: +44 (0) 1732 364422/377146 Fax: +44 (0) 1732 377137