In Pará, the qualification of industrial suppliers has resulted in higher volume of local purchases. The acquisition of products and services by large companies from various segments is increasing. What 19 years ago represented 19%, currently the historical margin reached more than 50% of local purchases, according to REDES - Innovation and Economic Sustainability, initiative of the FIEPA System.

Last October, Hydro certified 21 Pará suppliers at the closure of the first edition of its Supplier Development Program, held in Barcarena /PA, in partnership with REDES. There were more than 130 class hours, approximately 200 people directly reached and 200 improvement actions and investments from suppliers. The second edition of the Program is in the planning phase and will be executed in Paragominas /PA in 2020. Hydro has been continuously investing to stimulate Pará's socioeconomic development. In 2018, for example, the company's consumption of goods and services reached R$ 3 billion in the state.

João Bosco Pacheco, Quality manager of Plena Serviços, was one of the Program participants. Awarded in the Activity Participation and Engagement category, the supplier has 323 employees and about ten participated in the modules. “I could better understand how to show results, produce reports and monitor the evolution and implementation of the company's action plans. Our goal is always to offer logistics solutions and services within the state of Pará, loading and moving raw materials and inputs,” he says. Plena Serviços has been serving Hydro since 1998, specifically Albras and Alunorte.

For Marcel Souza, REDES Management Executive, continuously evaluating productivity, correcting errors to evolve in supply to customers, is what guarantees most of the contracts between industries and suppliers of Pará. “Empowerment is a very important strategy for a supplier to stay in the market. If we look at the plants of Albras and Alunorte, there are suppliers acting since the implementation of these projects. We realize that the work of spreading knowledge allows us to extend the life of many suppliers, as we see in the case of Hydro partners,” he observes.

According to a study released by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), in August of 2019, the industry grew 0.8% in relation to the previous month. Pará was the second state with the biggest advance: 6.8%. It was the fourth consecutive positive result.

Marcel Souza points out that, given the scenario of expansion of industry in the state, the challenge is to increase 1% of the 50% of purchases in Pará, year by year. “To do this, industry processes must be quick and simple for suppliers to participate in bids. And on the other hand, they increasingly need to prepare for new business. We know that the training is a constant movement: if the 'glass filled' with Hydro certification, now they must empty it and seek new knowledge, ”he says.

Capacity Building - Hydro's Supplier Development Program was carried out in three modules, delivered at the National Industrial Learning Service (Senai) in Barcarena. The disciplines ranged from personal career management, financial and organizational management, ethics and compliance, labor and tax aspects, marketing and sales, industry proposal, pricing, business prospecting and billing. There are also disciplines such as HSE (Health, Safety and Environment), corporate social responsibility, leadership and motivation.

Hydro Bauxite & Alumina Executive Vice President John Thuestad stressed that the initiative represents more than just an investment in suppliers. “The Program supports supply chain development in Barcarena. In this way, we contribute to the local economic development where we operate. We believe that more qualified suppliers develop new businesses and, consequently, generate more wealth and jobs in Pará ”, he says.