Publicado em 10 de outubro de 2013

Association is dedicated to the development of the construction and mining production chains, promoting actions of a technical, informative, educational and marketing nature

For the purpose of disseminating knowledge and information of relevance to professionals involved in the areas of equipment and maintenance, Sobratema introduced, in August 1989, ‘Revista M&T – Maintenance & Technology Magazine’. Today, the magazine is the main publication in the segment of equipment for construction and mining, bringing professionals content that includes technology, product introductions, news on the economy and the market, legislation, safety, best practices in the operation and maintenance of equipment, qualification of manpower, etc.  Published monthly, the magazine has a circulation of 13 thousand copies per edition.

That same year, the association promoted the first ‘Sobratema Maintenance Seminar’ – an initiative that complemented the introduction of ‘Revista M&T’ since it enabled the propagation of knowledge through contact and sharing of know-how between professionals and business owners. The event promoted discussions of technical issues, such as management of equipment, costs of maintenance, manpower and technology. In addition to the seminars, the association organized technical talks and encounters and round-table discussions in several Brazilian cities until 1999, when Sobratema renamed its technical events the “Sobratema Workshop”.     

To disseminate knowledge and new technologies for the sector of construction and mining equipment, Sobratema created the first trade show devoted specifically to this segment: M&T Expo – International Exhibition of Construction and Mining Equipment; envisioned in 1994 and promoted in 1995 in the building where the São Paulo Art Biennale is held. With the participation of 70 exhibitors, the show was marked by its technical profile and the entry of the world’s main manufacturers, brands and dealers into the Brazilian market. This triennial trade show has grown consistently with each new edition as regards its exhibition area, number of new product launches, brands and participating companies, visitors and volume of business.

In 1995 Sobratema also created a new program - ‘Missões Empresariais’ (Sobratema Trade Missions) -  with the aim of providing exchange-program travel for professionals who are interested in experiencing interaction with international trade fairs, thereby enhancing their technical and cultural backgrounds. The association selects the main global events for the sector and organizes an exclusive travel program targeting added value for the professional. Some three thousand professionals have already participated in these programs.

The following year, Sobratema launched its official web portal with information on all of the products offered by the association.  

Having established M&T Expo, the association’s technical events, ‘Missões Enpresariais’ (Sobratema Trade Missions) and ‘Revista M&T’, Sobratema turned its attention to professional, vocational training and in 2001 established ‘Instituto Opus’ (the Opus Institute) for the qualification, updating and certifying of operators and supervisors of equipment. Through its courses, which involve both theory and practice and are taught by experienced and qualified instructors, Instituto Opus aims to decrease the lag in the technical development of manpower in the equipment sector and to equip professionals with quality skills, up-to-date information and the most advanced techniques in the world. Opus has trained over 5,000 professionals from approximately 400 companies.

Further in the area of equipment, in 2005 Sobratema began a new program of reference for the market that it called the ‘Hourly Cost of  Equipment’ (Custo Horário de Equipamento)  and, in 2007, it released the ‘Sobratema Study of the Brazilian Market for Construction Equipment’ and the ‘Brazilian Yearbook of Construction Equipment’. These three products became materials of reference for the sector; especially as regards the Study of the Brazilian Market - which enables an assessment of the economic importance of the sector and dimensioning of policies designed to facilitate the acquisition of modern and efficient equipment over the next five years; and the Yearbook (that has been renamed the ‘Sobratema Guide to Equipment’) - which gathers and organizes information and specifications for domestic and imported equipment, separated by product family and is a relevant tool for professionals who work in the segment.

The introductions of these two unprecedented products for the market of construction and mining equipment reinforced Sobratema’s mission of disseminating relevant information to all of the players who operate in these two segments and contributing toward enabling companies to have a technical and market-based foundation for decision making. That’s why, over the following years, the association extended its actions to an even wider segment: the construction and mining production chains.

In 2008, Sobratema released the first book in its area of publishing: “Excelência Operacional – O Desafio da Melhoria Contínua” (Operational Excellence – The Challenge of Continuous Improvement), written by mechanical engineer Ivan Montenegro de Menezes.

In November 2009, Grandes Construções magazine was launched with articles and coverage of interest to the sector of construction and, in 2010, Sobratema held its first ‘Sobratema Forum – Brazil Infrastructure’ with the participation of some 600 professionals in the segment. That same year the association also published the survey “Main Investments in Infrastructure in Brazil”

In 2011, the association introduced its web-based video news channel ‘CHN - Construção Hoje Notícias’ (Construction Today News), published the survey “Brazilian Equipment Fleet in Activity” and the initial “Equipment Standardization Guides” for the identification of non-compliant equipment. That same year, Sobratema innovated and announced two new trade shows: ‘Construction Expo – International Trade Show of Building and Infrastructure Construction’ and now called ‘M&T Parts and Services - Trade Show and Congress for Technology and Management of Construction and Mining Equipment’. The two fairs received 25,944 visitors and 360 exhibitors.

In 2012

Year 2012 was the best in the history of Sobratema. M&T Expo, held from May 29^th to June 2^nd, came to a close establishing records in attendance (54,597 visitors), exhibitors (494) and brands (1,042), and displayed approximately 3,500 units of equipment in an exhibition area of 62,057 m². The trade show also inaugurated the era of electronics in large events with electronic RFID registration.

Sobratema’s Opus Institute offered 97 courses throughout the year, which qualified and/or certified 1,203 professionals in specialties related to the areas of equipment for construction and mining. This represented an increase of 38.75% in the number of students compared to the previous year. To achieve this result, five new courses were created and a larger number of in-company courses were also given.

Sobratema also enlarged its presence in trade shows and congresses abroad and established new collaboration, partnerships and contacts with institutions in several other countries. In all, the association’s area of international relations participated in nine events: four trade missions, three trade shows and two congresses.

As regards publications, M&T and Grandes Construções magazines, and the Sobratema Guide to Equipment made their way into mobile devices equipped with the iOS (Apple) and Android (Google) operating systems. In addition, the Guide to Equipment is now being published biennially.

The association also released, for the very first time, information on five South American countries in its ‘Sobratema Study of the Market for Construction Equipment’ and updated the data in its survey ‘Main Investments in Infrastructure in Brazil through 2017’. New manuals for standardization of equipment were also published and the events: Sobratema Workshop, Sobratema Congress and Sobratema Forum were held with the participation of a qualified, business-oriented public.