Thanks to the initiative and entrepreneurship of Luís and Filipa Guimarães, a new clothing brand emerged in the market in 1996, reaching a prominent position in the national textile sector, and establishing itself as one of the few complete vertical units in the country.
The Polopique group controls its production from spinning, through weaving/knitting and finishing, to manufacturing. The strategy initially involved subcontracting the entire production, but the move towards industrialization in 2003, with the acquisition of a finishing company, changed everything. Two spinning units, weaving, and finally, in 2013, clothing production followed.
€6.7 million
Is the value of the application submitted to Portugal 2020 for a new spinning unit. The constant pursuit of innovation allowed all companies in the group to be equipped with the latest technology, resulting in process optimization, increased quality of manufactured products, and production efficiency. Polopiqué, seen as the ‘mother’ of the group based in Santo Tirso, has the capacity to produce about 100,000 pieces per day, with Spain being its main export market. Internationalization is a key pillar in the company’s development strategy, exporting 97% of its turnover.
The fruitful and lasting relationship established with Inditex, the owner of Zara, also provides undeniable advantages both in terms of market trend monitoring, demanding continuous production of novelties, and in terms of global-scale demand. Hence, the company has applied to Portugal 2020 community funds, amounting to €6.7 million, an investment intended for the creation of a new spinning unit.
Isabel Carneiro, the company’s administrator, clarifies the strategy: “From 1996 to 2010, Polopiqué exclusively dedicated itself to the manufacturing and marketing of clothing pieces. In the early part of this decade, we decided to invest in spinning, to meet the needs in terms of quantity and quality of the desired thread, and in a short period”, emphasizing that the total investment now amounts to €12 million.
Polopiqué’s main markets, in addition to Spain, include Germany, Austria, and the United States of America.
