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To the tune of the piper As the Brazilian government pulls out all the stops to solve the energy crisis, utility providers are preparing to meet new demands. Their suppliers, like pipe and tube manufacturer Apolo, are leading the way to more efficient days ahead. In 1938, the Brazilian corporate group Grupo Peixoto De Castro founded its first steel industry company, Apolo Produtos De Aço. Situated in Rio de Janeiro, Apolo is a pioneer in steel tube and pipe production in Brazil. In recent years, it has become one of the leading suppliers of the automotive, chemical, civil construction and petroleum markets. "Initially, we were solely focused on the production of pipes for civil construction," said Carlos Eduardo de Sa Baptista, Apolo's CEO. "In the 1990's, the company had to shift gears in order to keep up with the changing economy. We decided to expand our product line to service other markets. Today, we are primarily manufacturing tubes and pipes to meet the increasing needs of the energy and gas industries." According to Baptista, Brazil's gas industry is responsible for two percent of the country's energy consumption. "The government is striving to increase this meager number to ten percent within the next few years," he said. "As you can imagine, this means that there will be a large increase in demand for pipes and tubes within this industry. I must be prepared for this new market." Baptista is set on charging ahead. "We are going to double our production by 2003," he predicted. "Our next step is to invest in a new line of tubes and pipes, as well as to fully automate our plants. My employees are I are ready for this growth: my vision is their vision. If I can use my knowledge to motivate people and give them confidence, then we will all perform to our full capacity. In Brazil, every new day is a challenge, the key is to turn that challenge around and make it an opportunity."
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