Evolution of the Furniture Industry in São Bento do Sul

The micro-region of Alto Vale do Rio Negro is located in the Northern Plateau of Santa Catarina and is home to a significant number of furniture manufacturers. This micro-region comprises the municipalities of Rio Negrinho Campo Alegre and São Bento do Sul the latter being the main object of study as it is the oldest and one of the largest furniture hubs in Brazil. The objective of the research is to show the relevance of the city of São Bento do Sul to the micro-region and to the state in terms of production and revenue as well as how the São Bento industry reacted to the economic policy adopted in the 1990s and exchange rate fluctuations between 1900 and 2015.