“The robustness and efficiency of JUARISTI products, joined with our high-quality service, makes me think we can achieve great success in Portugal”

Tomás Barbosa de Oliveira, Business Development Manager at PAM Lda.

In late 2019, JUARISTI and the Portuguese distributor PAM made an agreement for representation and management of the service in Portugal with the goal of making use of synergies for providing optimal services in the country. From the Trofa district of Oporto, PAM is complementing the powerful commercial and service structure of JUARISTI on the peninsula by providing consulting in engineering, integral support services and safety audits for machines. PAM business development manager Tomás Oliveira believes the partnership agreement will lead both companies to success in the country.

What is the history of PAM?

Our company was founded in 1994 in Oporto by Paulo Mena, an electronic engineer. In the beginning, he rebuilt small CNC machines. The business grew quickly and PAM Lda. moved to bigger facilities in Trofa, an industrial city 35 km north of Oporto. The main business of PAM Lda. was retrofitting machine tools.

What were the keys to growing until you expanded all over Portugal?

The company has grown constantly in recent years because of the specialisation of our employees, quick responses to requests from customers and the quality of our work. We now have 26 employees, two facilities that are 1,000 m² each and customers not just in Portugal, but also Spain and regions like Galicia and Asturias. Our main activity is still retrofitting. But we now also provide all kinds of after-sales services and new machine distribution.

In addition, because of the high demand for spares and components for the machines we work with, we distribute accessories like sensors, safety protection devices and lubrication systems. We have recently taken a step forward with the agreement to represent JUARISTI commercially in Portugal. It is something we are very proud of.

What services does PAM Lda. provide for its customers? What is its added value?

We can say we are more than a supplier because we always try to achieve the best solutions for our customers’ demands at a low price and as fast as possible, because time is very important in the machine tool business. What is more, our experience with a wide variety of machine configurations and CNC controls is very useful for us for acting rapidly and being able to solve problems with agility. The excellent work ethic of our suppliers is another key for delivering the best components quickly.

What are the engineering consulting services you provide like?

At PAM Lda. the majority of our staff are technicians divided between the mechanical department and the electrical/electronics department. We have four mechanical engineers and two electrical engineers. Because of that, we are capable of designing projects for special solutions and configuring the PLCs, including the electrical and mechanical project, in order to give a turnkey solution to our customer.

What is the demand for machine tools in Portugal like?

Portugal is a small country. However, we have important industries, like the mould industry, foundries, welded part production, the cork industry and the textile industry. The largest industrial areas are located around Oporto and the north, especially in cities like Braga, Trofa and Oliveira de Azemeis. Additionally, in the center of Portugal there are significant places like Leiria and Marinha Grande, with a large presence in the mould industry.

What are the sales forecasts for JUARISTI in the country and what is their growth margin?

I believe we can achieve a lot of success in the near future. The JUARISTI product is a very good machine with very high efficiency and it is very robust. And, alongside our knowledge of the industry and our high-quality service, that encourages us to see the future with a lot of optimism.

Is JUARISTI well known in Portuguese industry? How do their machines respond to the needs of businesses in the country? 

JUARISTI was very well known for the old manual boring and milling machines. And now they are making a name as a manufacturer of CNC machines. In my opinion, JUARISTI has recently made a leap in quality, not just in their range of machines but also in their form of manufacturing. The TX and TH machines, that are characterised by their symmetric design with a head centred on the column, are very suitable for the Portuguese market because of their flexibility of configuration for the needs of each part.

Another characteristic that I think is a great advantage for this machine is the pickup for changing the heads, which really increases the versatility of the group. For larger pieces, the MX machine with a mobile column is an incredible machine. And the MP series with hydrostatic technology is, without a doubt, the best machine insofar as technology and performance, and it also has a wide range of size options.

What is the commercial strategy in Portugal? 

JUARISTI and PAM have worked in collaboration on a sales plan and we have created a list of target companies that we want to use to build our portfolio of future customers.