The first activities of our business in this region already date from the 1950s. Various successful joint ventures and subsidiaries in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela are the basis of that success. Thanks to the combination of knowledge of the local market and the technological Bekaert know-how, we have managed to steadily increase not only our geographical distribution but our portfolio as well.
In October 2008, Bekaert, together with the members of the Kohn family in Ecuador, announced the establishment of a regional holding, in which Bekaert holds 80% of the shares. This holding company covers the interests in the related companies in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It offers us the possibility to develop a combined market strategy for the entire region and allows us to achieve scale benefits.
The majority of the Latin American Bekaert subsidiaries work the market with a broad product portfolio ranging from nails and baling wire, over barbed wire and bedding & seating spring wire, to steel cord and a wide range of cables. For Bekaert, ‘close to the customer’ means more than just geographically close: we are guided by our customers’ plans, priorities and approach.