Lameirinho Relies on Flexibility in Selling Target Markets
January 5, 2001
Portugal's Biggest Bedlinen Manufacturer Strengthens Itself With Investments
Pevidém, Guimarães (Portugal) — Lameirinho, Portugal's biggest bedlinen manufacturer and third largest textile mill, produces a wide range of home textiles, including bedsheets, pillowcases, quilt covers, fitted sheets, curtains and tablecloths.
The Lameirinho brand is used in the Portuguese market, while the company produces under customers' labels for external markets.
Employing more than 1,000 workers, the mill covers an area of almost 70,000 square meters, producing each year 7,500 tons of yarn and 46 million square meters of finished fabric.
Turnover is around $72 million with exports accounting for more than 90% of sales. The main export markets are the U.S.A. and the U.K., followed by Germany, France and Greece.
Sales in 2000 were better in all markets compared with the previous years, with the company expecting a 10-12% increase in turnover.
The company's marketing department said that bedlinen trends were toward more jacquards and integrated designs. "Bedding is now being seen as an integral part of the house," said SÃlvia Correia. Texture is also becoming more important, and other new products include flannels and tweed effects.
The origins of the weaving mill date back to 1948. In 1935, Joaquim Martins Coelho Lima co-founded a warping operation; thirteen years later he purchased two mechanical looms.
In 1965, the family company of Joaquim Coelho Lima & Fihos Lda was established, and in 1971 the first spinning unit followed the expansion of finishing, printing and making-up as the mill be-came a completely vertical operation.
Exporting began in the 1970s and by 1987, this expansion into overseas markets led to the company becoming Lameirinho - Indústria Téxtil SA, a public company quoted on the Lisbon and Porto stock exchanges.
Investments of more than $80 million have been made over the past 10 years and include a new 16,128 spindle ring-spinning mill opened in 1995 to replace the earlier facility. An open-end spinning mill started in 1987 was expanded two years later.
Today, Lameirinho operates 220 modern automatic looms and a further 142 weaving machines work under contract exclusively for the company. The most common dyeing process is the pad-batch system with reactive dyes, and most printing is carried out on rotary printing machinery. The company is certified according to the ISO 9002 standards.
In 1999, Lameirinho acquired ASA — Agostinho da Silva Areias, Fos & Ca Lda — an important brand in the Portuguese market, based in Covas, Guimarães. This company is now known as ASA —Indústria Téxtil SA.
According to chairman Albano de Abreu Coelho Lima, Lameirinho plans to continue with its strategy begun in 1994: production and distribution of high quality products together with an excellent delivery response and service.
• Lameirinho — Indústria Téxtil SA, Apartado 7, 4811-909 Pevidém, Guimarães, Portugal. Tel: + 351 253 422000. Fax: + 351 253 422090. E-mail: marketing@ lameirinho.pt. Heimtextil: Hall 4.1 Stand A27.
Pevidém, Guimarães (Portugal) — Lameirinho, Portugal's biggest bedlinen manufacturer and third largest textile mill, produces a wide range of home textiles, including bedsheets, pillowcases, quilt covers, fitted sheets, curtains and tablecloths.
The Lameirinho brand is used in the Portuguese market, while the company produces under customers' labels for external markets.
Employing more than 1,000 workers, the mill covers an area of almost 70,000 square meters, producing each year 7,500 tons of yarn and 46 million square meters of finished fabric.
Turnover is around $72 million with exports accounting for more than 90% of sales. The main export markets are the U.S.A. and the U.K., followed by Germany, France and Greece.
Sales in 2000 were better in all markets compared with the previous years, with the company expecting a 10-12% increase in turnover.
The company's marketing department said that bedlinen trends were toward more jacquards and integrated designs. "Bedding is now being seen as an integral part of the house," said SÃlvia Correia. Texture is also becoming more important, and other new products include flannels and tweed effects.
The origins of the weaving mill date back to 1948. In 1935, Joaquim Martins Coelho Lima co-founded a warping operation; thirteen years later he purchased two mechanical looms.
In 1965, the family company of Joaquim Coelho Lima & Fihos Lda was established, and in 1971 the first spinning unit followed the expansion of finishing, printing and making-up as the mill be-came a completely vertical operation.
Exporting began in the 1970s and by 1987, this expansion into overseas markets led to the company becoming Lameirinho - Indústria Téxtil SA, a public company quoted on the Lisbon and Porto stock exchanges.
Investments of more than $80 million have been made over the past 10 years and include a new 16,128 spindle ring-spinning mill opened in 1995 to replace the earlier facility. An open-end spinning mill started in 1987 was expanded two years later.
Today, Lameirinho operates 220 modern automatic looms and a further 142 weaving machines work under contract exclusively for the company. The most common dyeing process is the pad-batch system with reactive dyes, and most printing is carried out on rotary printing machinery. The company is certified according to the ISO 9002 standards.
In 1999, Lameirinho acquired ASA — Agostinho da Silva Areias, Fos & Ca Lda — an important brand in the Portuguese market, based in Covas, Guimarães. This company is now known as ASA —Indústria Téxtil SA.
According to chairman Albano de Abreu Coelho Lima, Lameirinho plans to continue with its strategy begun in 1994: production and distribution of high quality products together with an excellent delivery response and service.
• Lameirinho — Indústria Téxtil SA, Apartado 7, 4811-909 Pevidém, Guimarães, Portugal. Tel: + 351 253 422000. Fax: + 351 253 422090. E-mail: marketing@ lameirinho.pt. Heimtextil: Hall 4.1 Stand A27.
