Orivaldo
O. Gallasso
M A I O
/
J U N H O
D E
2 0 0 6 –REVISTADAESPM
ES
PM
GERDAU –ACQUISITIONS
ABROADASANANSWER
TODWINDLINGDOMESTIC
DEMAND
pAgE46
EVASTAL
MARCOSAMATUCCI
Having found awinning formula for
excellence in themanagement of
minimills
, theGerdau company grew,
inBrazil, by purchasing low-
performing plants and improving
their level of efficiency. At the turn
of the century, themodel became an
export item.The article examines the
international growth of Gerdauunder
the light of the theoretical model of
StephenHymer – one of the first
thinkers on internationalization
models –who explained the
competitive advantages a company
may obtain bymanaging foreign-
located assets. InNovember 2006, two
units of theGerdau group –
MetalúrgicaGerdau S.A. andGerdau
S.A. - were selected to be part of ISE
(the SãoPaulo Stock Exchange Index
of Entrepreneurial Sustentability).The
need for investing abroad is inherent to
the logic of revenuemaintenance, as a
major competence of Gerdau: and the
acquisition and improvement of
low-performing plants play an
important rôle in it.
HOWCOMPETITIVE IS BRAZIL
COMPAREDTOOTHERBRIC
S
?
pAgE70
ALEXANDRE LACERDA
LANDIM
This is a study basedon the concept
of the “competitiveness of nations”,
which defined prosperity as a
multifactorial, large-scale,
integration process of such diverse
areas as economy, politics, society,
environment, public institutions,
business performance and capacity
of innovation (in science and culture).
Specifically in relation to the
Brazilian economicmodel, this
approach tends to reveal serious
shortcomings, which have severely
limited its growthpotential and hinder
the entrance of its companies in the
world scenario. In fact, thewidening
gap between the low level of
performance of mostly ineffective state
institutions, and the increasing
capability of the private sector for
innovation, sophistication and
profitability,becomesevermorealarming.
BARBECUE, UPPSALA STYLE
pAgE98
FREDERICOTUROLLA
MARCOSAMATUCCI
With the acquisitionof the Swift
Company, the Brazilian group JBS
has taken the number one position
in theworldmeat market.This
article describes aspects of the
internationalization pathof JPS
and proposes an element of
explanation for the firm’s success,
on the basis of assessments by the
Swedish school of Uppsala.This
school endorses a process of gradual
internationalizationwhich – in the
case of Friboi and other Brazilian
companies – have also benefited from
a temporary business situation in the
late 90s, representedby the opening of
trade and valuationof exchange rates.
The article includes other evaluations
and explanations for this success story,
including the part played by public
policies such as BNDES financing.
THE PARADIGMOF
BRAZILIANCOMPETITIVENESS:
OPENING, GROWTHAND
CONTESTABILITY
pAgE106
MÁRIOMARCONINI
When compared to neighboring
nations, Brazil’s overall
performances not so bad.
However, economic growth
has been lagging, lately.The
internationalization of the
economy continues to expand,
and foreign trade is becoming
vital, but feelings of
frustration are in the air.
Analysts tend to agree that
one of themajor shortcomings
for Brazil, today, dwells in its
inability to takemaximum
advantage of the current
momentumof world prosperity
and general growth.There is
consensus about what must
be done to correct this situation;
but the bad news seems to be
that there is no prevailing
political will todo it, at least
in the foreseeable future.
A saying inBrazil goes: “the best
is enemy of the good”.
Complacency and the
dolce
far niente
may contribute
to the image – abroad –
of a
simpatico
andwarm-
hearted people. But to score as a
winner, in the game of
international business, requires
more than just that.
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