| Fostering Bilateral Trade and Investment Flows Between Brazil and Florida |
Council News Led by Shining Star, Brazil Business Council Gains Traction
One of the most active is the Brazil-Florida Business Council, which after only three years in operations has gained a reputation for its high-profile Brazilian guests while scoring strong feedback from attendees of its events, who lavish praise on the council’s founder, Sao Paulo native Sueli Bonaparte. Read more at Latinvex. Bonaparte: Brazil Back on Track
Latinvex: To what extent have recent economic reforms in Brazil helped interest in Brazil among US companies? Bonaparte: Despite Brazil’s dismal economic performance, foreign direct investment has hit record highs amid recent reforms. Savvy US companies recognize Brazil’s underlying economic fundamentals and see this is a historic buying opportunity. The economic team of the current administration has brought confidence to the international financial market and they have quickly taken essential actions to bring the economy back on track. Despite modest economic growth forecasted for the coming year, analysts expect that the new administration will continue pro-growth policies to foster more robust economic recovery in the coming years. Read more at Latinvex. Council helps businesses in Brazil, Florida navigate bureaucracy
Sueli Bonaparte - President and FounderTAMPA, June 17 — Brazil is Florida’s No. 1 trade partner when it comes to exports. But getting in the door isn’t easy. Cutting through red tape and tariffs requires a sharp tool. Enter Sueli Bonaparte, who for 17 years served as executive director of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce in New York City, slicing through bureaucracy to create international partnerships. After moving to Florida a few years back, Bonaparte said, she saw a lot of untapped potential for connecting business threads between this state and her native Brazil. Read more. Encontro realizado em São Paulo auxilia investidores brasileiros interessados em ingressar no estado da Flórida
Uma das maiores ambições de empresários brasileiros é fazer com que seu negócio seja reconhecido internacionalmente, porém, muitos não possuem as informações e regras para trilhar esse caminho. Pensando em auxiliar esses executivos, as organizações Brazil-Florida Business Council (BFBC), Enterprise Flórida e APEX-Brasil, que trabalham na intensificação do relacionamento entre o estado da Flórida e o Brasil, realizaram no último dia 7 de julho, em São Paulo, um encontro com o objetivo de apresentar estratégias para o investidor interessado em ter uma fatia de seu negócio nos EUA. Com o tema "Investindo na Flórida: desafios e oportunidades", o encontro foi apresentado pela presidente-fundadora, Sueli Bonaparte, e contou com a participação de líderes empresariais com filiais no estado americano. Read more. Member Spotlight We are proud to highlight the following Council members in President's Circle and Patron membership levels. Learn more about prestigious companies who have selected the Brazil-Florida Business Council as their partner to foster business relationships between Brazil and Florida. If you wish to upgrade your membership category, contact us.
The Akerman Corporate Practice Group advises public and private companies, including private equity funds, on M&A, capital markets, financings, and other transactional matters, with a strong focus on the middle market. Akerman is top-ranked nationally for mergers, acquisitions and buyouts: middle market by The Legal 500 and is recognized as a leading U.S. law firm by U.S. News – Best Lawyers for corporate, M&A, private equity, securities/capital markets, securities regulation, and banking and finance law, and is listed in PitchBook league tables as among the most active law firms in the United States for M&A and private equity deals.
Our mission is to be a worldwide consistent source of high quality orange juice, its products and services, adding value to the citrus business, respecting the community and the environment.
More than a century ago, Gerdau began its expansion path and now has a presence in 13 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Peru, U.S., Uruguay and Venezuela. Its products, sold on five continents, serve the civil construction, industrial and agricultural sectors. Gerdau products, in all their diverse forms, have a day-to-day presence in the lives of people. They are an integral part of the structure of homes, shopping centers, hospitals, bridges and hydroelectric plants; they are part of power and telephone lines; they are raw material for automotive parts and they can be found at work on the farm. For more information, click here.
We also have an experienced team that specializes in international assets, composed of professionals from Brazil, other Latin American countries and the United States, through whom it offers specific solutions for each type of investor, according to the profile and investing horizon. XP Investments and XP Investimentos belong to the same group: They share the same support pillars of personalized advice, impartiality, and focus on the best interests of clients.
Since the first Outback Steakhouse opened, our family has expanded to include Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Together, there unique, Founder-inspired restaurants that deliver exceptional quality and welcoming hospitality make up Bloomin' Brands, Inc. Today, Bloomin' Brands is one of the world's largest casual dining companies with approximately 94,000 Team Members and close to 1,500 restaurants throughout 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 19 countries. Bloomin' Brands is a 2018 Fortune World's Most Admired Company.
In a market with fewer economic barriers, it is important to be in constant contact with specialized professionals who are in tune with world economic trends. In such a global market, it is vital to have qualified consultants certified in specific countries to help ensure proper international accounting, taxation and legal compliance, with security and excellence. In this challenging environment, Drummond Advisors was created to fulfill the needs of companies operating in both the Brazilian and U.S. markets. In order to deliver an exceptional level of high quality service, the consulting performed by Drummond Advisors presents a set of skills that differentiates us in the market, allowing greater efficiency, timeliness and promptness in service. We mean to always work in partnership with our clients, ensuring their accounting, tax, legal and market needs are aligned to your goals, thus enabling sustainable financial decisions and successfully exits.
Known throughout Brazil, Spoleto My Italian Kitchen In collaboration with FLEB-5 have opened 4 restaurant locations in Orlando Florida, with plans for state wide franchise expansion in 2019. EB-5 investment capital has surpassed $23 Billion dollars since 2008, creating over 200,000 new US jobs annually since 2014, and since 2008, over 1,050 Brazilians have been granted EB-5 permanent immigration status thru the EB-5 program.
| SAVE THE DATE JUNE 26, 2019 BRAZILIAN BITES Location: Fogo de Chão Orlando For BFBC Members Only! THANK YOU MEMBERS FEATURED VIDEOS 4th Founding Anniversary Tampa Mayor Joc O’Rourke, TESTIMONIALS
"I want to thank the Brazil-Florida Business Council and Founding Presidente Sueli Bonaparte for all you are doing strengthen relationships between Florida and Brazil and create more opportunities for business and Florida families. Brazil continues to be Florida's number one international trade partner, and we want to make Florida first for job creation so families have more opportunities to live their dreams." Rick Scott, The Honorable Senator of Florida "Sueli, the amazing energy that you bring to this cause is astounding. I envision this organization and the relationship to go long beyond certainly my tenure as a mayor, and I think building a bond between Brazil and Florida, particularly between Brazil and Tampa, is going to be important. The Brazil-Florida Business Council can play a vital role to the economic growth of the city. If we are going to be the city we want to be, we will have to expand our horizons and be global in our perspective and global in our actions." Bob Buckhorn, Former Tampa Mayor "Sueli is relentless in pursuing excellence for Brazil-US relations, and she should really be congratulated for that. Honestly, we highly respect her work and all the great things she’s done now, she’s doing it here." "I'd like to say how excited we are for the launching of the Brazil-Florida Business Council and the important work they'll do in further connecting Brazil's and Florida's business communities and promoting Brazilian companies in Florida." David Neeleman, Azul Brazilian Airlines "It is important to work with partners such as the Brazil-Florida Business Council to help counsel and advise American companies about doing business in Brazil." Stephen Knode, United States Commercial Service "Brazil continues to be Florida's largest global market for trade and FDI. The partnership between the Brazilian Office of Enterprise Florida and the Brazil-Florida Business Council play a vital role to capitalize on business prospects in both regions." Fabio Yamada, Enterprise Florida Brazil "A Sueli é uma locomotiva para o desenvolvimento de negócios, ela não se cansa de procurar meios para auxiliar o crescimento de todos, prova disso é a Brazil Florida Business Council que em tão pouco tempo já alcançou tamanha expressão e mostra o tempo todo ao que veio, aglutinando mais interesse no Brasil e esse tipo de iniciativa faltava na Florida.” Marcelo Fleury, LAFINSA "We see how passionate you, and your staff, are in building relationships across borders to mutually grow global economic development.” Doug Davidson, Bank of America Merrill Lynch “We are extremely grateful for your continued leadership and efforts to promote the relationship between Florida/Tampa Bay and Brazil. Your efforts reflect the very best of what we do to promote our community and our regional growth.” Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay “The Brazil-Florida Business Council is surely a key partner for Brazilian firms willing to invest in Florida.” Andre Leal, Select USA “What you have achieved is truly remarkable in such a short time and serves as an inspiration to all of us. I have always believed that nations in this hemisphere should work closely together. The Council has demonstrated to me that there are many opportunities to better both Nations by working together and sharing information. At each event we have attended, we have met people that we would not have come in contact with normally, had it not been for the Council.” Dr. Gustave Zader, University of South Florida |
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Although The White House, Commerce Department and US Trade Representative’s Office are all led by protectionists these days, various chambers of commerce throughout the United States are moving ahead with promoting two-way trade and investment flows between the United States and Latin America.
Brazil’s economy, Latin America’s largest, is back on track, says Sueli Bonaparte, president of the Brazil-Florida Business Council (BFBC). In this interview with Latinvex, Bonaparte talks about the outlook for Brazil’s economy, US investor interest, investment grade and why she started the BFBC.
Brazil is Florida’s No. 1 trade partner when it comes to exports, but getting in the door isn’t easy. The Brazil-Florida Business Council provides a forum for business people to exchange ideas and network.
Citrus Products, Inc. was established 40 years ago in the business of importing and distribution of citrus products (orange juices and by-products) as a wholesale. The company operates an orange juice terminal in the Port of Newark, NJ and has offices in Orlando, FL.
Gerdau is the leading company in the production of long steel in the Americas and one of the major suppliers of specialty long steel in the world. With more than 45,000 employees, Gerdau has an installed capacity of more than 25 million metric tons of steel and it is the largest recycler in Latin America, and around the world, it transforms millions of metric tons of scrap into steel every year.
Formed in 2004, Mosaic is a young company rooted in history and experience. Recognized as innovators in our field, this status owes much to the combined strengths of the crop nutrition business of Cargill, Inc. and IMC Global Inc., our founding companies. In 2014, Mosaic completed its acquisitions of the Florida phosphate business of CF Industries, Inc., and of Archer Daniels Midland Company's fertilizer distribution business in Brazil and Paraguay.
XP Investments is a securities broker (broker dealer), member FINRA and NFA, and registered with the SEC. We have two offices in the United States, one in New York, concentrating services to institutional clients, and the other in Miami, concentrating services to retail clients.
Azul 
A15 Investments is a Brazilian company investing in basic education in the United States. The company started operations in Florida, envisioning opportunities in the Sunshine State. Through a partnership with Kiddie Academy, one of the largest American franchisers of educational childcare, and leveraging 40 years education experience in Brazil, it established the first school from scratch: buying the land, building the property and managing the school operations. The company plans to build dozens of schools in the coming years. 
Bernardo Piccolo Team for Real State Solutions is a Residential & Commercial Real Estate practice with 15 years of market experience in the Tampa Bay and surrounding areas. With over 800 transactional parties assisted and $100+ millions in Real Estate Sales. Bernardo Piccolo PA is within the top 1% in Sales volume & Units sold in the Tampa bay. Bernardo and his team specialize in Domestic & International relocation, Investment Real Estate, residential & commercial sales. Assistance in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Bloomin' Brands
Drummond Advisors has a multidisciplinary team with experience and certifications to operate in the United States and Brazil. Our team has accountants, lawyers, managers and consultants with experience in international business. The qualifications of these professionals enables Drummond to have a broad and complete overview of the challenges involved in international transactions, including those relating to accounting standards (US GAAP vs. IFRS-International Standards), tax, legal and market analysis.
The Florida EB-5 Regional Center is authorized by USCIS to facilitate EB-5 Visa Investment projects with Brazilian companies interested in expanding their successful businesses into the Florida USA market, utilizing EB-5 investment capital and creating Visa and Citizenship opportunities for their families and associates.
JurITis USA (TOTVS official partner), based in South Florida and with more than 30 years of experience supporting top Latin American law and accounting firms, JurITis USA is a niche channel for professional services software solutions by TOTVS, one of the world's top software companies. We deliver fully integrated, cloud-based software for billing, timesheets, finance, bookkeeping, analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling you to centralize, streamline and improve your company’s operations.
Tampa International Airport is consistently ranked among the world’s top airports, serving more than 19 million passengers annually with routes to more than 80 destinations around the world. In the past few years, the airport has received top awards on the state, national and international levels, including being named the No. 2 domestic airport in reader polls by both Travel + Leisure magazine and Condé Nast Traveler. Tampa International recently completed the largest construction program in airport history, expanding its main terminal and opening a 1.4-mile people mover extending to a new, state-of-the-art rental car facility. It is also undergoing a complete concessions redevelopment, adding 69 new shops, restaurants and services with an emphasis on local flavor, brands and designs.