Samarco-led initiative strengthened 20 companies in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, promoting socio-economic development and business resilience in the region impacted by the Fundão dam collapse

Named +Gestão 2.0, the project provided various training sessions and increased the efficiency of the 20 participating small and medium-sized enterprises from Mariana and Ipatinga, in Minas Gerais, and Linhares and Colatina, in Espírito Santo, by approximately 14%, operating in the sectors of fabrication, assembly, and maintenance of steel structures; civil construction; project engineering and IT; services; and industry and trade in general. 

The initiative empowered local business owners to adopt a management system based on planning and organization, fostering discipline, cost reduction, strengthened competitiveness, and a relationship of trust with suppliers and customers.

One of the program’s participants is Dayse Monte, an entrepreneur in Olfactory Marketing with her company Domus Velas e Aromas, from Linhares (ES). The entrepreneur highlights the relevance of the lessons learned for her business. The +Gestão 2.0 project was extremely important, especially for working with digital media. Today the world demands more digital integration, and a the companies cannot stay out of it. We benefited from strategic changes and I can already notice the gains in profit and operational efficiency,” she explains. Dayse’s enterprise saw a 17% gain in efficiency in the first months following the training. 

“I am certain that the results will be increasingly significant, but the gains in profit, efficiency, and customer relationships are already noticeable,” Dayse concluded. 

Recovery operations in the region have been ongoing since 2018, with programs aimed at socio-economic and socio-environmental reconstruction. The +Gestão 2.0 Project is an evolution of the Local Supplier Development Program and the +Gestão Project, launched in 2022. Its primary objective was to stimulate socio-economic development, empower local companies to meet supply demands, promote continuous process improvement, and increase efficiency and competitiveness. 

The +Gestão 2.0 Project methodology included initial and final assessments, classes, workshops on Strategy, Processes, Finance, Marketing, Digital Transformation, and People, as well as specialized consulting, technical visits to the companies, and participation in trade fairs and events. These activities aimed to enhance the practices of the participating companies in areas such as Quality, Productivity, Safety, Health, Environment, Social Responsibility, Accounting, Tax, and Labor Management. 

“The +Gestão 2.0 Project reaffirms Samarco’s commitment to reparation across different work fronts, including socio-economics, and to the future of the Rio Doce Basin. We are proud to see the direct impact of these actions on the lives of local entrepreneurs, who are the backbone of the region's economy. The training provided allows these businesses to thrive and become more competitive and innovative, generating value and new opportunities. It is an individualized effort that, through the transformation of management capabilities, fosters culture, tourism, education, and the local economies,” highlights Samarco’s Transition Coordinator, Paula Braga. 

The conclusion of the Project is part of the Transition actions led by Samarco, resulting from the New Rio Doce Agreement. 

Reparation  

Since the Fundão dam collapse, one of the reparation fronts has focused on the socio-economic development of the entire impacted territory, aiming at local economic recovery and the development and training of entrepreneurs. On this front, nearly five thousand people have already benefited from courses, training, and programs like +Gestão 2.0, surpassing the R$ 198 million mark in investments.  

For more information on the reparation projects and Samarco’s actions, visit  www.samarco.com/reparacao