More than BRL 1.1 billion was handled with purchases and contracting from local suppliers

Força Local program concludes two years of activities with significant numbers in the territories where Samarco operates in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Data released this Monday (Oct-10) show that the program spent more than BRL 1.1 billion in local commerce in the municipalities of Catas Altas, Ouro Preto, Mariana and Santa Bárbara (MG) and Anchieta, Guarapari and Piúma (ES). Furthermore, BRL 759 million were disbursed by the company, reaching out to 204 local suppliers. This refers to approximately BRL 4 million in direct purchases of products and services from 328 suppliers.

“Something we had to restore, with the resumption of our operations, was our close relation to suppliers and local companies in order to continue sharing value. This program was born two years ago and today we can see the results. I had the opportunity to hear from businesspeople how important Força Local has been at this time of economic upswing”, highlighted Samarco’s CEO, Rodrigo Vilela.

“Força Local is an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to feel more prepared to meet the demands of the market, contributing to the development of their companies and improvements in management processes. Our mission is to help them to be increasingly empowered beyond mining. Without the support of the participants, it would not have been possible to achieve such relevant results”, said the general manager of Samarco's Supplies, Ailana Vilela.

Local suppliers

To encourage the development of local suppliers, the program offers, free of charge, various activities throughout the year. In the last two years, more than 3,154 people participated in the 53 workshops, lectures and seminars held. The Supplier Catalogs in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo included 451 companies. 300 consultations were performed in the business roundtables and 451 vacancies were made available in professional training courses. In total, 113 companies were certified under the Development and Qualification Pillar.

“The program is aligned with the purpose of doing mining differently. We want to encourage the fulfillment of demands, through tools and knowledge so that companies can have new business opportunities”, highlighted the coordinator of the Força Local Elisangela Toledo.

The representative of Nara Móveis e Equipamentos, Nara Gatti da Costa, from Guarapari, spoke about her experience with Força Local. “The program added a lot of value, including with regard to our client portfolio. It broadened our vision in seeking other clients. I was able to put into practice the lessons I learned during the six months I participated in the program, pursuing improvements and team training. The Força Local is here to stay”, celebrated Nara.

“Força Local gave us the opportunity to understand Samarco's purchase process and also to prepare ourselves to serve other companies. The process of guiding the suppliers was of great value. In addition to being able to get new business, we gained experience”, highlighted the owner of Maximiano Confecções, Valmir Maximiano, who also serves as vice president of the Ouro Preto Commercial Association (Aceop).

A representative of the company Xip 7 Informática, from Ouro Preto, Ludiana Gonçalves Lúcio, emphasized that she saw the results of participating in the program in practice. “All the content covered was very valid. We learned a lot. The Força Local contributed to directing us, being very important and significant for us. We want to continue walking together and achieve more and more solid partnerships,” she said.

“It is always a pleasure to hear from the people who participate in the program. Força Local strengthens our bonds of trust and brings us closer to strategic audiences, through dialogue with communities, class entities and local suppliers”, concluded the CFO, IT and Samarco Supplies, Gustavo Selayzim.

The program

Created in October 2020, the Força Local program is structured around the Political, Training, Business, Monitoring and Development and Qualification pillars. The initiative is carried out in partnership with professional associations in the municipalities where Samarco is hosted in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. More details about the program are available at https://www.samarco.com/forca-local/