Founded on June 8, 1983, the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear and Artifacts (Assintecal) is celebrating 42 years of partnership with suppliers of components for the footwear production chain. Headquartered in Novo Hamburgo, RS, the association represents a sector that includes more than 3,000 companies and directly employs over 80,000 people across Brazil.

Since its founding, Assintecal has been committed to representing the sector, both in boosting business and in creating tools to increase the competitiveness of its member companies. A highlight of its history is that Assintecal was one of the first national entities to have an export support agreement with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) in 1998. Silvana Dilly, Assintecal’s superintendent, recalls this history with pride. “Brazilian components were very focused on supplying the domestic market, which had a very strong footwear production industry. There was no work to promote direct exports, which began with Brazilian Materials, a program we maintain in partnership with ApexBrasil,” she recalls. According to her, Brazilian components that once supplied only the domestic market are now found in more than 70 countries. “Brazilian Materials has allowed us to work not only on trade promotion, at international events and programs that bring importers to Brazil, but also on tools for training our companies,” she adds. She believes this export-focused work also benefits the competitiveness of companies by preparing them for the challenges of markets more competitive than the domestic one.

INSPIRAMAIS

Another high point in Assintecal’s history was the creation of INSPIRAMAIS in 2010. It’s the main exhibition for launching materials for the footwear, apparel, furniture, and jewelry industries in Latin America. Currently with two editions per year, one in Porto Alegre/RS and another in São Paulo/SP, INSPIRAMAIS launches more than two thousand new materials every year. “INSPIRAMAIS has made Assintecal a national reference in fashion research for product launches aligned with major market trends. It was a gigantic leap for our production chain,” says Aline Santos, the entity’s Marketing and Relationship Manager. The next edition of the exhibition will be held on July 15 and 16 at the Pro Magno Event Center in São Paulo.

Sustainability

In line with a strong trend in the footwear market and, consequently, its component production, Assintecal launched Origem Sustentável in 2013. This program, a partnership with Abicalçados (the association representing footwear producers), is the only ESG certification for companies in the footwear production chain in the world. Currently, more than 110 companies are certified or in the process of certification. “Origem Sustentável has made the Brazilian production chain a global case study. Today, we are the country with the most sustainable component and footwear industry in the world. We owe this to the tireless work that began more than 12 years ago,” Aline recalls.

New Logo

To mark its 40th anniversary in 2023, Assintecal launched a new logo at an event that also celebrated the entity’s rebranding efforts. According to Aline, the new design was guided by the need to look forward, anticipating challenges while not forgetting the connection to a past so relevant to the footwear production chain. “Our new identity carries the history written so far, but also guides Assintecal toward a new phase,” Aline explains. She adds that the idea of the new identity is to convey the essence of the association’s work, while also projecting a future of synergy with its activities and mobilization in favor of the interests of companies in the leather and footwear component sector.

With more than 250 associated component companies, Assintecal operates nationwide, although its office has remained in Novo Hamburgo, RS, since its founding. The association is open to new members. Learn more on the website www.assintecal.org.br.