location is strategic to serve customers in brazil and latin america.
the strength of the industry, the driving force of the economy of joinville (largest city in the state of santa catarina), is set to get another important, versatile component this month: silicone. the brazil unit of bluestar silicones was inaugurated on september 15 at the perini business park, the largest business condominium in the country.
with an area of 8,000 sqm, the new headquarters got investments worth r$40 million and creates about 40 direct and indirect jobs, most of which hired in the region and trained in partnership with senai. the unit's assembly and construction involved 123,000 hours of work and the hiring of 250 different suppliers.
to transfer the industrial headquarters to joinville, the company took into account factors such as the services, logistics, and transport infrastructure; strategic and operating management, and skilled labor in the region. with over 60 years of experience, bluestar silicones serves customers nationwide and in latin america, including mexico.
a member of elkem as, norway, bluestar silicones has operations worldwide and its headquarter in lyon, france. the company is a supplier with a fully integrated chain and offers an extensive line of products for use in various markets, such as to the self-adhesive, cosmetics, construction, automotive, healthcare, and textile product industries, among others. it also has distribution partners and is supported by a sound iso 9001-certified quality management system.
according to bluestar silicones ceo lucas freire, there are three main factors behind the increase in silicone activities: growth of the gdp, the industry's technology level, and the distribution of income. "the financial downturn of the last couple of years had a material effect on gdp growth and on income distribution, strongly impacting the industry's growth. however, even in this challenging environment, we trust the company and the region, and hope to resume rapid growth in the coming years. on the other hand, crises drive innovation, which is in line with the company's strategy and is expected to bear fruit in the medium and long term," said freire.
strategic location
the new production unit becomes part of a strategic point within the company's global position, as it will house a logistics platform that will enable greater efficiency and quicker delivery of products coming from other subsidiaries in europe, asia, and north america.