Moldmakers in Brazil feel margins being squeezed too

Half a world away, a Brazilian moldmaker has the same complaints as his Canadian peers about serving the automotive industry. Carlos Paes, president of Fast Tools, describes his interactions with automotive clients as a love/hate relationship.
“The auto industry demands that you invest more in your company, and that increases your costs. And who’s going to pay for it? Not them,” complains Paes. “My customers don’t care if I have money to reinvest in my company, or to pay my workers.”
Fast Tools is a four-year-old moldmaking firm based in Jundiai, near Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a well-equipped, modern shop. As the name suggests, the company emphasizes quick turnaround. Paes says this is achieved by a combination of production processes and appropriate software. He boasts that Fast Tools can produce an instrument cluster mold 30% faster than the industry average.
Paes is a former local manager for auto parts supplier Siemens VDO, and Fast Tools began as an outsourcing resource for that company. The moldmaking shop now has a variety of clients in the automotive, business machine and appliance markets.
Paes says he tries to remain informed about the global market situation to keep his company competitive. “I don’t want to be a victim. This market will push you down if you let it.”