Fiorima: “an excellent company, very professionally managed and with a strong knowledge base accumulated over several decades”
Within the context of the initiative “COMPETE 2020: close to those who create value”, the president of COMPETE 2020, Rui Vinhas da Silva, visited the factory and this is how he described this company:
“Fiorima is a case of a company whose business model is based on a single-product strategy in the production and commercialization of socks and similar knitwear products. Fiorima does so with notable success attained through its modern infrastructure as well as through the adoption of innovative processes. An excellent company very professionally managed and with a strong knowledge base accumulated over several decades”.
A Brief History of Fiorima
Founded in 1985, Fiorima is exclusively dedicated to the manufacture of men’s and women’s socks and knitwear. It is considered by all customers and suppliers, to be one of the most modern companies in the world, not only through the use of the most up-to-date manufacturing equipment but also through the use of the most advanced technologies throughout the logistics of the entire production/marketing chain.
The use of robots in many of the processes and tasks, and the integration of all the information generated inside the company, and its interconnection with the outside world, allows for a technological advantage over its competitors, wherever they may be.
Fiorima is certified according to the SA 8000, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 standards, which being one of the few cases, if not the only one, in the sector, demonstrates the level achieved by the company in the various areas of company management.
Their mission is to always think of the production/marketing chain as a formula for guiding action relating to quality, creativity and flexibility.
Their culture is based on the creative participation of all the employees, and always respecting the principles of business ethics.
Aiming at the quality market, they have defined the large department stores and retail chains their commercial objective.
Europe and North America are the destiny of almost all the 3.5 million pairs they produce annually.
“COMPETE 2020: close to those who create value”
On the 18th of November 2015, the president of COMPETE 2020 Rui Vinhas da Silva began a weeklong visit to companies in the textiles and fashion sectors.
These are sectors of economic activity that have experienced growth in exports in the order of 9,5% in 2014 (ANIVEC). From 2009 to 2014, these sectors saw export sales rocket by a staggering 29%. Within the textile sector exports of clothing represented 60,2% of 2014 total exports, and contributed to the balance of trade with a surplus of 967 million euros.
The visit by the Chairman of COMPETE 2020 is part of a wider agenda to bring firms who are keen on exporting their goods and internationalize their economic activity on the one hand and COMPETE 2020 on the other closer and closer together as both sides share a common purpose, that of increasing exports and substituting imports, thus contributing to a structurally healthier balance of trade.
By identifying the set of critical factors for economic growth that are inherent to successful export strategies, by acting in a consistent and systematic way, by adding value to tradable goods, committing to incorporate innovation, applied knowledge and marketing, listing what is necessary to do to remove the structural and behavioral barriers to direct external investment, it will be be possible to create the conditions for sustained economic growth in Portugal via competitiveness and exports, all of which materializes the ultimate objective of COMPETE 2020.
The visits included a group of companies with differing market positions, which shows the wealth of diversity and strong dynamic that Portuguese companies have demonstrated over the last decade. Companies like Salsa (Irmãos Vila Nova, S.A.), Calvelex, Laranjinha (Hall&CA), Petratex, Fiorima, Damel, P&R Têxteis S.A., Grupo Polopique are fine examples of this.
According to Rui Vinhas da Silva, president of COMPETE 2020, the visits within the scope of “COMPETE 2020:close to those who create value”, showed that the textiles and clothing sector which has undergone severe turmoil with the opening of the European markets to China and the 2008 crisis, were able to reinvent themselves, having acquired sustainable competitive advantages anchored in tangible differentiation (sophisticated processes and products) thus improving the competitiveness of the Portuguese economy. Less has been done on the branding (both corporate and product) front, but progress has been made.
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