São Paulo and Espírito Santo, October 22, 2014
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group and the IFC African, Latin American, and Caribbean Fund announce an equity investment of 200 million Brazilian reais (about $87 million) in Vix Logística, company of Águia Branca Group. IFC’s investment in this growing company will help improve the country’s competitiveness by strengthening logistics services.
IFC’s investment will help Vix Logística continue to expand its operations and logistics projects, providing high quality services to key sectors such as mining, steel, oil and gas and automotive.
Brazilian industries face high logistics cost because of poor infrastructure and quality of services. According to a World Economic Forum report, these costs can reach as much as 18 percent of Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product. Improving transport and logistics services will enhance productivity, strengthen local markets and increase competitiveness of exports. These are crucial elements for long-term economic growth and sustainable development.
IFC’s equity investment will total 150 million Brazilian reais, while that of the IFC African, Latin American, and Caribbean (ALAC) Fund will be 50 million Brazilian reais. The IFC ALAC Fund is managed by IFC Asset Management Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of IFC.
“Vix has been growing organically about 18 percent per year in the last five years”, said Kaumer Chieppe, Vix’s CEO. “With IFC’s capitalization we will haves additional strength to continue our expansion plan.”
Gabriel Goldschmidt, IFC Head for Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “We are pleased to invest in Vix Logística’s expansion plan to help develop Brazil's logistics sector, which is instrumental for improving the country’s competitiveness. Investing in infrastructure is a key element for the country’s long-term sustainable growth and a top priority for IFC in Brazil."
Sujoy Bose, Head of the IFC ALAC Fund, said: "Vix Logística has established a solid position as an integrated logistic provider in a growing market in Brazil. With its proven and effective capacity to provide enterprises with solutions that make them more competitive, Vix Logística is well positioned to address the pressing need for competitiveness in the Brazilian industrial sector. We look forward to our partnership with the company's management team.”
IFC has been investing about $ 2 billion per year in Brazil to help address the country’s most urgent development challenges, including those of urbanization, social inclusion, competitiveness and productivity, as well as management of natural resources.
About Vix Logística
Headquartered in Espírito Santo, Vix Logística is an integrated logistics services provider supporting the supply chain logistics of key natural resources and industrial sectors, working with four business lines: charter services, automotive logistics, fleet services and dedicated logistics. Operating since 1971, Vix Logística is present in about 80 locations in Brazil and employs over 8500 people.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
About IFC Asset Management Company
IFC Asset Management Company LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IFC, invests third-party capital, enabling outside investors to benefit from IFC’s expertise in achieving strong equity returns, as well as positive development impact in the countries in which it invests. It manages $6.3 billion of capital across six investment funds. For more information, visit
www.ifcamc.org
About the IFC African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund
The IFC African, Latin American, and Caribbean (ALAC) Fund is a $1 billion investment fund that invests along with IFC in equity investments in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It provides long-term growth capital for private enterprises in these regions.