António Moreira Gonçalves
Lipaco, a sewing thread manufacturer, used the slowdown in production to finish the installation of new equipment, in an investment of around 1.8 million euros. After having experienced a 25% drop in business, the company is again working at full capacity.
The dyeing and finishing sectors were in the centre of this renovation. “We were already making investments and reaching a stage where they were practically ready to be put in place, so we took advantage of this slowdown to carry out the reorganization”, explains the company administrator, who in addition to new machines, is also investing in updating the infrastructures.
With the update of the production and the development processes, the company wants to open its catalogue to new products and business areas. “The new machines will allow an optimized performance in terms of speed, quality and variety”, adds the company administrator, who over the last few years has invested in innovative fibres, such as reflective threads made from glass.
All happening at a time when Lipaco is slowly returning to its normal activity. “We never stopped, but we felt the effects of the pandemic like all other companies. In our case, it represented a business drop between 25 and 30% ”.
At this point, all those difficulties seem to be a thing of the past, with the company producing at 100% again. “We are working at full capacity. If the new machines were already operational, we would produce even more”, says the manager, who, despite the good moment, prefers not to embark on exaggerated optimisms: “it may be a peak. Before the holidays, it is normal to have more orders. Regarding exports, we are working as usual, and in the domestic market there is already a lot of movement. However, everything is very uncertain, nobody can afford to make predictions ”, he states.