Exactly 10 years after the opening of Frohn North America, Inc. in Atlanta GA, USA another subsidiary was created in South America located in Pariquera, SP, Brazil.

Finding the right location is always one of the most challenging tasks when establishing a new business in a foreign country or on a different continent. One thing Frohn knew for sure was that they wanted to be located in Brazil within the State of Sao Paulo which generates more than 40 % of the country’s total GNP.
The company also knew it would be wise to follow the current trend of locating itself somewhere outside of Sao Paulo city. Today most business enterprises try to stay away from the city limits for several reasons: increasing traffic, pollution and crime to name a few. 
Pariquera, SP about 200 km (130 miles) south of Sao Paulo city, met all these criteria and the property purchased,  measuring 80.000 m2, leaves enough room for future expansion. The city is located strategically along a main highway namely "BR-116". This important highway connects the most southern State of Brazil "Rio Grande do Sul" with the most  northern State "Ceara" and is more than 4000 km (2500 miles) long.
The investment in Brazil was made in order to upgrade the level of service previously available to customers. With service as the primary goal Conditioned Cut-Wire will soon be readily available in Brazil awaiting immediate release. The service package also includes a Shot Peening machine to assist in the optimization of the customers’ shot peening parameters and to aid in their choosing the right shot peening media.
The new entity’s name "FROHN Brasil – Granalhas Industriais Ltda." reveals that the activities in Brazil won’t be limited to just cut wire. The company wants to serve as a single source for all media for the entire shot peening and shot blasting industry.
On April 16th, 2005 after more than one year of preparation and construction the inauguration of the new venture was celebrated. All customers were invited with their spouses to spend the weekend in Pariquera. Considering a round trip of between 400 – 600 km for people arriving from Sao Paulo city, accommodation was provided for at least one night for all attendees.
Saturday the guests were all welcomed on the new premises of Frohn Brasil in an opening address by Mr. Peter Beckmerhagen of Frohn Germany and Mr. Dieter Brakemann, Director of the new company. Then the festivities were started, a banquet of local food and beverage specialties was offered to the guests while live Samba music played in the background. Local officials from the city of Pariquera, such as the Mayor, welcomed the new company and their visitors and guaranteed their future support.
There was plenty of time for everyone to explore the facilities and to meet and chat face to face. Many of the guests enjoyed the opportunity to meet with their Frohn contacts whom they had only previously had the opportunity to communicate with over the telephone or via email correspondence.
On Sunday the entire group of guests was invited on a little sight seeing cruise departing from Cananeia, where everyone had stayed the night before. After a good nights rest the party set sail on a three hour cruise to discover the beautiful island flora and enjoy the picturesque landscape from the seaside. The final destination was a seafood restaurant with a private dock where the guests were invited to disembark and enjoy one last meal together. Early in the afternoon shortly after lunch most of the guests headed back North to Sao Paulo city and the neighboring vicinity.
Good communication is essential to learning what is most important for the customer and to ensure that the customers’ needs are met and that their expectations are exceeded.  This celebration provided the right atmosphere for the exchange of pertinent information. As part of Frohn’s global service commitment, their presence in Latin America has been strengthened significantly with the opening of their new distribution and manufacturing facility.

For Information:
Frohn Brasil - Granalhas Industriais Ltda.
Rua das Rosas, 157, Bairro Sta. Luzia
11.990-000 Pariquera - Açu / SP - Brasil
Tel. +55.13.3856-5000
Fax: +55.13.3856-4185
E-mail: frohn@frohn.com.br