Profile Historic		Where the footwear manufacturing poles are. State of Minas Gerais Number of enterprises in 2008: 1,421 % of Brazil: 17.6 Number of employees in 2008: 24,654 % of Brazil: 8.4 Exports in US$ million in 2009: 14.1 % of Brazil: 1.0 Exports in millions of pairs in 2009: 1.2 % of Brazil: 1.0 Fonte: MTE/RAIS; SECEX/MDIC e ABICALÇADOS The Pole of Nova Serrana Nova Serrana, the main producer cluster in Minas Gerais, is specialized on the production of sneakers and sportive sandals. The city of Belo Horizonte, second place of the ranking, stands out for women’s shoes with bold and vanguard design. Belo Horizonte Footwear Pole Belo Horizonte (capital of the State of Minas Gerais), works directly in the production of women’s footwear and of goods with differentiated design. The emergence of this pole dates back to 1897, but it was from 1930 that professionals from the sector took the first steps toward industrialization due to the arrival of Italian immigrants who fled the Depression in Europe and settled on the region. The metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte has around a thousand factories of footwear and goods, which employ nearly ten thousand people. The footwear segment has about 600 companies that generate more than seven thousand jobs. The estimated production is 15 million pairs. Uberaba Footwear Pole Uberaba is responsible for 20% of the shoes production in Minas Gerais. There are about 40 companies of the most varied sizes, that produce an average of 20 thousand pairs/day, generating about 1,500 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect ones. The production is diversified, manufacturing men, women, esportives and children shoes, besides accessories and cowntry style boots. Uberlância Footwear Pole Uberlândia hosts 57 footwear companies, that produce six thousand pairs/day. The production, directed to women, is still basically handmade. The footwear sector in Uberlândia generates three thousand jobs. Footwear Poles in the State of Minas Gerais The variety of products and styles is one of the main characteristics of the State of Minas Gerais. The State hosts three thousand factories that employ 30 thousand people. The production of 20 million pieces of footwear and leather goods totals R$ 1 billion.