GTFoods, owner of the Chicken Song, expects to grow 30%

Despite having taken the paranaense group GTFoods to hitting the brakes and slow the project of construction of a plant of sausages, the most delicate stage of the Brazilian economy is not expected to reduce the rate of growth of the company.
With the programmed investments of more than $ 80 million to expand chicken slaughter and the recent acquisitions, the Group expects to grow almost 30% this year and achieve a turnover of about $ 1.8 billion. In 2014, were $ 1.4 billion.
As Rogério Gonçalves, Managing Director of GTFoods, the operation of chicken, responsible for about 80% of the company's sales, will be once again the biggest responsible for the projected expansion. Since 2011, when it was created from the acquisition of Felipe Poultry by Chickens Song, the Group has been investing in the construction of aviaries for the integrated producers to promote the increase of slaughterings.
The expectation of Gautam is GTFoods incase 2015 with a daily slaughter of 580 thousand chicken heads, an increase of 16% in comparison to the 500 thousand heads slaughtered daily at the end of last year. For 2016, when the process of slaughtering magnification is complete, the company plans to cull about 650 thousand heads of chickens a day.
In all, the Group invested around r $ 120 million to expand the production of chicken meat from 2012, according to marketing supervisor Victoria Moura. At the end of last year, the GTFoods signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Paraná that provides tax incentives for investments, which are expected to total $ 205 million by the end of 2016. This year, the prediction is that the contributions reach $ 85 million.
According to Gautam, the investments from 2012 and the contributions to be made until next year under the "Paraná competitive," program that grants tax incentives, have focused on own slaughterhouses, located in the municipalities of Maringá Paraná, good land, and North Haven Paranavaí (see map). In addition to these plants, the Group has leased a slaughterhouse in Arapongas (PR) and another, with a partner, in Ipuaçu (SC).
Commercially, the GTFoods keeps the bet made in the expansion of exports. Last year, the Group raised the participation of overseas shipments in total revenue of 22% to 30%. According to Moura, the advance of exports was achieved after enabling Maringá unit to sell to the European Union. With this license, the Europeans became the second most important market for exports of the GTFoods, behind the Middle East.
If counted on the positive impact of Europe in exports last year, the domestic market was Russia that helped, says Gautam. With the expansion of exports of competitors to the Russian market, the prices of chicken meat in the Brazilian market have improved, which helped the GTFoods. "The Russia wiped the internal market", he says.
Aside from the production of chicken meat, "heart" of GTFoods, the Group has diversified its activities. Earlier this year, has completed the acquisition of Fresh Foods, specializing in ready meals, and 50% of the Chef Foods, which produces cheese bread and frozen products. Together, the two companies with a total turnover of about $ 180 million, according to the GTFoods.
In addition to these acquisitions, the Group also awaits the final paperwork to take the Lorenz, condiments and preserves company purchased last year in judicial auction. At the same time, the company also invests in the distribution of food produced by third parties and sold under the brand name Song. Among these products are cheese bread, cod and potatoes. The distribution segment represents 8% of the revenues of GTFoods.
Most ambitious project for the diversification of the company's business, the construction of a plant of sausages should take longer to get out due to the economic crisis in Brazil, says Gautam. Budgeted at r $ 48 million, the project has counted with the funding of an American Bank, and the GTFoods come seeking a land, but the prospects for the Brazilian economy did the group put the foot on the brake.