Ecotag opens markets and bets on international expansion for 2020
Ecotag started its operations less than five years ago and is already a Latin American leader in authenticity and security seals production. The small tag with the name of the brand attached to clothes and shoes fights counterfeiting, fraud at the time of exchange, and still adds value to the product. That’s because the pieces produced at the factory in Blumenau, a city located in the south of Brazil, get vivid colors and creative shapes in the hands of the responsible team.
The industrial startup began its internationalization path last year, when it realized their great market potential in our neighboring countries. That’s when it looked for Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – the result of a partnership between Abit (Textile and Clothing Industry Brazilian Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency).
The international debut was at the Colombiamoda event. Soon, the company’s CEO, Junior Souza, realized that there was traction in the Colombian market for its authenticity seals. “In July 2019, we created an entire export sector in the company, to study the market, policies, etc. That’s when we did the PEIEX [export consultancy offered by Apex-Brasil] and joined Texbrasil,” he explains.
Global trajectory
The first exports came, with Peru as its destination. But the year 2020 has barely started and the prospects for new markets are promising. Colombia, for example, has already become a destination for products thanks to contacts made during Colombiatex de Las Américas, which took place between January 21st and 23rd, in Medellín. The company was also present with the support of Texbrasil.
According to the CEO, Ecotag has a production capacity of 700 thousand pieces per day, which allows new flights. “Today, there is a lot of markets that consume our product, but there are few players. The major ones are China, Turkey, and Brazil,” he explains and adds by saying that here, his company is a pioneer.
He details the Colombian market does not have similar manufacturers, that is why garments import on a large scale from China. He also says that its tags have a series of competitive advantages that have led it to get 3,000 customers in the last 5 years. Among them are renowned brands such as Farm, Calvin Klein, Dudalina, Empório Armani, and Colcci.
“Our products are of better quality, do not damage clothes, and have a much shorter delivery time. During Colombiatex, the booth did not stop. We received 1000 buyers with the intention to buy in three days,” he guarantees.
Also, about 75% of the entire production process includes recycled materials. “All trash we produce is crushed and returned to the production chain. Items we can’t reuse goes to our partner called Carbobrasil, a company that produces banks and trash cans for us,” he concludes.
About Texbrasil
The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with companies in the textile and clothing sector developing strategies to conquer the global market. Over nearly 20 years, it has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export trail, making USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is carried out through a partnership between Abit and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).