Press Room

Mining companies in Pará and Minas Gerais contribute to increased production of Volare minibuses during the pandemic

According to IBRAM (Brazilian Mining Institute), the public transport sector generated about 180 thousand jobs until August, boosting the chartering business

The growth of the mining sector has heated up the passenger transport segment, contributing to the production increase of the Marcopolo's minibus brand Volare. Even with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on national public transport, the brand's daily production increased 66% this year, expanding from 12 to 20 units a day. The mining activity, mainly in Minas Gerais and Pará, plays an important role in the brand's business.

“The demand of ore from the foreign market and the rise in the dollar rate boosted the mining segment, favouring the entire supply chain, including the transportation of labour force,” says Sidnei Vargas, national manager of Internal Market at Volare. “And the minibuses started to replace vans, as they promote greater seating capacity and greater distance between passengers, as recommended by health authorities”, he adds.

According to IBRAM, the sector generated about 180 thousand direct and indirect jobs between January and August 2020. One of Volare's customers, Indaiá Transportes has benefited from this movement. The company, which operates the chartering of workers in the region of the Iron Quadrangle in Minas Gerais, witnessed a growth of 120% in the volume of passengers this year, and ended up purchasing 10 minibuses. Currently, the company has a fleet of 42 specific vehicles to operate in the charter segment, including executive services, and transportation inside and outside of mines.

“Our customers' demands often require instant service. The mining industry has not faced the paralysis of other sectors and the workforce continues to work even with the pandemic. The rapid increase in transport capacity is a characteristic of this market ”, comments Anderson Ferreira Guimaraes, Director of the company. According to the executive, the forecast is to maintain the current fleet even after the end of the pandemic, since the demand for labour from mining companies will continue to rise.

Another company serving the mining sector, Júlio Simões  has purchased 15 Volare vehicles this year, due to the increased demand for chartering.

From the door to the mine

“The transport of miners requires specific vehicles that take them from the door of their houses to the interior of the mines, facing all kinds of terrain. Volare is the only brand in the country that produces minibuses according to the requirements of the sector with structural anti-tipping resistance to ensure the safety of operators, as well as anti-corrosion body,” says Vargas.

Among the various models offered to the market, the 4x4 minibuses feature the unique characteristics of the brand. In 2020, 73 units of Volare 4x4 with high load capacity were sold in the country.

Volare is a leader in the minibus manufacturing, and it operates in 35 countries in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. In 2019, the brand’s revenue was BRL 634.238 million, including sales in the foreign and domestic markets.

Photo credit: DC Multimídia

Máquina Cohn & Wolfe

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