InformaMídia: from commodities to niche economy

Mazzaferro expands its scope of action and opens new market fronts

Exactly 65 years ago, Italian immigrant Nello Mazzaferro identified a great opportunity in the Brazilian market. Fleeing from Italy devastated by World War II, he realized the demand for nylon thread and started importing the material in kilos and distributing it in pieces, thus achieving a good profit margin. As orders grew, he invited his brother, Mario Mazzaferro, to help. The brothers rolled up the yarn they imported from Italy on spools in the garage of the house where they lived, in Vila Mariana, in the capital city of São Paulo.

With a strong entrepreneurial profile, they bought an extruder and started to produce the material themselves, as an opportunity to make the supply of nylon for fishing products more regular in the domestic market. They opened the company’s first plant in São Bernardo do Campo. Years later, the second plant was created, also in the ABC region of São Paulo, in Diadema, an important logistics hub in the country. Thus, the company took the lead in the domestic fishing market.

In the 1970s, Mazzaferro decided to invest in a new market, that of mono and multifilament. The idea was to expand its operations, seeking new applications and new niches for nylon. The search was for products with higher added value. This is how the houseware line came about, composed of brooms, brushes and their complements, under the Linea Bella brand. The company became a pioneer in design and innovation, and even built a factory for the segment in São Leopoldo, in Rio Grande do Sul. “We began to see the opportunity to diversify our operations,” remembers the CEO, Claudio Mazzaferro.

Years later, Mazzaferro decided to open a branch of the fishing unit in Manaus, Amazonas, which is the largest fishing market in Brazil. There, he also identified the opportunity to distribute imported nets. Today, the company manufactures about 220 tons of nets per year and, through reverse logistics, recycles the equivalent of 55% of this total production, which represents 150 tons of nets that no longer pollute forests and seas. “We are very concerned about sustainability and the environment. This is a project that we are very proud of.

In the search for decommoditization, the company has also invested in a new factory of color charts for demonstrating hair coloring, Color Charts, thus entering the beauty market. The technology came directly from Italy, where many professionals from the company spent months studying to develop the business in Brazil. “We are one of the few in the world that develops this product with integrated thread, where the coloring happens together with the production of the thread. And, we do this because innovation is in our DNA. We are always seeking to differentiate ourselves,” explains Claudio.

This differential can also be seen in the Medical line, which produces monofilaments for surgical sutures, prosthetic screens and intrauterine devices, the IUD. In 2017 alone, the company sold 53 million meters for sutures. About 57% of this total was exported to countries such as India, China, and many others in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The quality of these materials, which are ISO 9001 and ISO 13.485 certified, has been the greatest highlight. The sutures have guaranteed biocompatibility, very high knot strength, and softness.

In this strategic review of economy of scale for economy of scope, Mazzaferro has stood out for innovation and diversification, always seeking new applications, markets and products with higher added value. Among the products that use the company’s raw material are tires, seat belts, lawn mowers, sewing threads and even guitar strings, a product that goes straight to the final consumer. “We believe that with dedication, ambitious goals and this vision of the future, we will go even further,” concludes Claudio.

About Mazzaferro: www.mazzaferro.com.br | (55 11) 4391-9000

Mazzaferro is the largest producer of technical yarns in Latin America and serves more than 50 different production chains. The company has three subdivisions: Household, Medical and Cosmetics. In the Household Division, the company has made massive investments in the Lady and Lindona brands, which have become a reference in the production of brooms, brushes, and their accessories. In the Medical area, the highlights are the manufacturing of sutures, IUD, prosthetic meshes, among others. The quality of these materials has been the biggest differential. The sutures have biocompatibility assured, high resistance to knotting and softness. In the Cosmetics division, the novelty is the Color Charts line, wicker charts for demonstrating hair coloring. The company is one of the only ones in the world that develops this product with integrated thread, in which the coloring happens together with the production of the thread. The company also has other lines of activity that include threads for tires and seat belts, industrial sewing threads, guitar strings, toothbrush bristles, among others. In this way, Mazzaferro is present in the daily lives of people and companies throughout Brazil and around the world.

Press Release:
InformaMídia Comunicação
Juliana Colognesi
[email protected]
(55 11) 2834 9295 / 98393-3689