APL is a private sector company, with limited responsability shares and was set up in February 1966 with a view to offering economic-financial services as well as juridico-legal planning and counselling. Therefore it is structured and able to offer a full panoply of services in its field of activity to the highest professional standards. It aims to serve both national and international companies from the planning stage to the definite execution stages of economico-financial projects. Furthermore it also provides a wide range of technical information according to the economic activity and location of the company with a view to obtaining especific financial incentives which are very often unknown to the entrepreneur.APL dedicates itself exclusively to offering counselling and technical consultancies and it does not undertake the construction or setting up of plants, nor does it sell any kind of material or equipment. As it does not maintain links with manufacturers or equipment salespersons, it can put forward projects conceived as meeting the real necessities for defending the interests of its clients. The three guiding principles are quality, security and profitability.
Under this framework, APL is able to develop the most varied types of study and technical, economic and financial counselling, thanks to its tradition and experience, which make the efficiency of its operations stand out as can be seen from the list of clients (see appendix) with which it has done business.
In working alongside private enterprises and governmental bodies, one of APL's primary concerns, among others, is to orient its clients mainly concerning basic aspects as to how the fulfilment of aims of each study will be supported.
For this reason preliminary studies are carried out, for the development of each project, about the main factors that will be closely inter-related to the future results obtained by the enterprise such as: financing, location, sypply of primary materials, market, labour force, etc.
By encompassing the most varied economic sectors APL can rely on the experience of highly qualified professionals and technicians and consultants in engineering, law, economics, veterinary science, agronomy, accountancy, geology and business administration. Their activity is co-ordinated by their Managing-Partner Dr. JOSÉ ANTONIO DE SOUZA LEÃO, a lawyer with vast experience in public and business administration.
Moreover it should be pointed out that APL's chief executive has acted as a special consultant, or as a member of Administration or Consultancy Boards, to many enterprises of the highest national renown, some of which are linked to multinational groups. This demonstrates that his credibility and competence are held in high regard and that he is a much sought after figure by these enterprises.
Finally it should be pointed out that APL maintains close links with the most active Administrative and Financial public bodies in Brazil. Included among these are the North-East Development Agency - SUDEPE; the Amazonia Development Agency - SUDAN; the North-East Brazil Bank - BNB; the Bank of Brazil - o Banco do Brasil S.A.; the National Bank for Social Economic Development - BNDES; the Fisheries Development Agency - SUDEPE; the Brazilian Agency for Tourism - EMBRATUR. APL, because of its established links with these agencies is able to create conditions favourable for the development of projects for Private sector Groups or Public Bodies, whether national or from overseas.
