São Paulo – Amino, a Brazilian chemical company specialized in polyurethanes, is carrying forward an ambitious strategy for international expansion and is already reaping results from its move toward Arab countries, which are included in the plan and are being considered as possible locations for a future plant.
A contract has been signed with a distributor in Saudi Arabia, negotiations are underway with a distributor in Egypt, and a first order has been received from the United Arab Emirates, in addition to others in discussion. These are some of the company’s most recent steps in the Arab world, according to a written interview with Amino’s founder and CEO, Carlos Roberto da Silva, given to ANBA.
These advances are the result of a trip the company made at the end of April to the three countries mentioned above, with from the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). The CEO participated alongside the company’s polyurethane applications technical specialist Lindolpho Neto, accompanied by professionals from the ABCC.
Operating since 1985, Amino was founded with the purpose of becoming a benchmark in innovation and development of chemical specialties for the polyurethane supply chain. With a plant following the industry 4.0 model, certified with ISO 9001, working with traceability, and located in Diadema, a municipality in the state of São Paulo, the company has a capacity of 2,000 tonnes per month.
The company operates under three business divisions. One is Additives, which produces catalysts, silicones, pigments, and performance additives; another is Systems, offering ready-made polyurethane formulations such as flexible foam, HR foam, hyper soft, viscoelastic, microcellular, rigid, and semi-rigid foam; and the third is Case, where coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers are manufactured.
Internationalization is now one of the central pillars of Amino’s growth strategy
Carlos Roberto da Silva
The products have various industrial applications in sectors such as automotive, for which the company supplies, among other things, materials for the manufacture of foams used in automotive parts like seats, carpets, and s. Following the logic of providing polyurethane solutions, the products are also supplied to the flexible sector—furniture and mattresses—as well as construction, refrigeration, and footwear industries.
Silva explains that throughout its entire lifecycle, Amino has worked with exports but responded only to spontaneous customer demands. Since 2021, though, the company adopted a strategy for the international market. “Recognizing the potential for international expansion and the need to diversify markets, the company began an active and planned process of internationalization,” the businessman explains.
The decision included defining priority markets, investing in campaigns and marketing, artificial intelligence, regulatory adjustments, participation in international trade fairs, and building relationships with chambers of commerce. Within this focus, earlier this year the company became a member of the ABCC. “Internationalization is now one of the central pillars of Amino’s growth strategy for the coming years,” says Silva.
The company currently has an active presence throughout South America, makes occasional sales to Central and North America, and is expanding into Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Key international markets include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Libya, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Uruguay, and Venezuela, according to Silva.
The company’s CEO sees growing demand, especially in Latin America and the Middle East. “In Latin America, there is an increasing demand for flexible foams, driven by the furniture and automotive sectors. In the Middle East, particularly in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the construction sector has been generating strong demand, fueled by major infrastructure and urbanization projects,” he says.
Our competitive edge lies in our ability to customize solutions
Carlos Roberto da Silva
Amino began structuring its commercial operations for the Arab countries in 2023, when it participated in the UTECH Middle East fair in Dubai and initiated s. “Our first actual sale to the region took place in 2024 to Egypt,” says the CEO. The path followed involved building relationships in the region, adapting the commercial approach, studying regulations and culture, and developing products aligned with local demands, especially for resistance to high temperatures.
Now, Amino views the Arab markets as strategic and with high expansion potential for polyurethane technologies, especially in flexible foams and construction. “Additionally, many Arab countries have been intensifying their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) agendas, focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability, which is fully aligned with our developments in low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions, circular economy, and products with a smaller carbon footprint,” he says.
The April trip served to validate business opportunities that had been developed over the past few years. According to Silva, it had an institutional and strategic nature, not just commercial. The group held meetings with distributors, representatives, mattress and foam manufacturers, construction companies, and Saudi chemicals giant SABIC, one of the largest global players in polyurethane. “The experience was extremely positive and contributed significantly to the success of the trip,” said Silva, referring to the from the ABCC during this mission.
Amino now plans to carry out a mission to another part of the Arab world—North Africa—visiting Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. “To strengthen our presence in this market by establishing strategic local partnerships, continuing to participate in international trade fairs, and possibly setting up a facility in the Middle East—its location to be strategically defined—to better and more swiftly meet regional demand,” said Silva.
Serving the previously mentioned sectors, Amino focuses on delivering tailored technical solutions for the industry. “Our competitive edge lies in our ability to customize solutions, ed by a highly specialized technical team and a manufacturing structure prepared to serve both Brazil and the international market,” says the founder, emphasizing their willingness to offer this same flexibility when serving clients in Arab countries.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
