Segmentation of the participating companies must leverage the internationalization process     Orchestra Brasil, a project that encourages exports supported by the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), has presented its new strategic plan to its member companies, with guidelines for the next five years. The new plan strengthens business intelligence actions featuring market research and survey on opportunities, and divides companies into level of internationalization.    The creation of subgroups within the project meets a demand from the member companies, which felt the need for targeting the actions proposed. The process begins this year and runs until 2014, with a structure of five levels of companies – from non-exporting to effectively internationalized. The segmentation will focus on competences such as business management for export, specific techniques for the sector, international negotiation, intelligence and positioning and promotion of the sector-based image.    Another crucial point of the strategic plan is the best use of the business intelligence, with constant research on the target markets, seeking new destinations for exporters of raw materials, components, technologies and design service for the furniture sector. Each participant will have to comply with different stages to climb to the next level in order to receive more investments from the project.   According to the president of Sindmóveis, Cátia Scarton, the project creates business opportunities for companies that already export and paves the way for those who have not yet reached the foreign market. The number of participants has almost doubled since the beginning of 2011 and the total amount exported has risen, on average, by 9.5% annually since the project began six years ago. For the president, the segmentation started in 2013 will result in actions better aimed at the production capacity and preparation of each company. "The project provides the conditions for internationalization and the engagement of participants creates an efficient circle to strengthen the industry as a whole," she says.   Currently, the Orchestra Brasil Project has 100 companies that take part in business actions to strengthen the sector in eleven target markets: United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, South Africa, Canada and Turkey. In 2012, the project members grew the amount they export by 16.8%, an increase that continues in 2013. In the first two months of the year, exports grew by 8.6% over the same period last year. Similarly to 2012, the American market was one of the key factors for this growth.