Capitalizing on a sector’s positive outlook

Brazil’s rapid pace of economic growth means increased opportunities for construction companies like Mascarenhas Barbosa Roscoe Construções (MBR), one of the country’s longest established and most respected firms in its field

“This is a good moment for Brazil and in the construction sector,” says Luis Pires, MBR’s president. “The outlook for the country for the next five years is good, and we expect to grow continuously. We need to improve our infrastructure, and we have the right conditions to do so.”

Founded in 1934 and based in the state of Minas Gerais, MBR has a long track record of private and public sector projects successfully carried out across the country. The firm specializes in industrial construction, and has built plants and facilities for the petrochemical, steel, mining, and pulp and paper industries, as well as undertaking big commercial and residential projects.

Recently, MBR has been involved in the biggest job in the steel industry, the ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderurgica do Atlantico steel mill in Santa Cruz, where it has been building steelmaking and coke plants. Other recent projects include civil engineering work for cement maker CSN Cimentos, and steel makers VSB and Arcelor Mittal, and the construction of distribution centers for Hines, Brazil’s largest industrial developer.

Mr. Pires believes that mining and steel are two sectors whose expansion will, in particular, give rise to civil engineering projects. “The mining sector is really growing in Brazil,” he says. “The government wants to produce double of what we are producing now, and as a result there are going to be many more opportunities in mining and steel.”

Proud of its history and its values, MBR has always forged long-lasting relationships with partners and clients, some of whom it has been working with for decades.

Mr. Pires says the company currently has no ambitions to extend its activities outside Brazil. “We do not want to work abroad because we would have to change our corporate culture,” he explains. “Brazil is a big country, and although there are local differences, everywhere has the same culture and language.”

MBR has always focused on projects that are a match for its size and technical expertise, and places great importance on the training and qualification of its workforce. According to Mr. Pires, it is interested only in tendering for projects that it knows it can deliver on time and to the standard required.

“To perform well in construction, you need to train your people,” he says. “Without this, you are not going to do a good job. Weneed to train more people and buy more equipment to grow. We only want to win contracts if the company is in the right condition to operate and complete the projects.”