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The textile companies Coelima, Filasa, Lameirinho and Lasa are now part of the Guimarães Industrial Tourism Network. The presentation and signature of the collaboration protocols took place at Lameirinho’s premises last week.
Domingos Bragança, mayor of Guimarães, Paulo Coelho Lima, CEO of Lameirinho, José Antunes, director of Lasa and Filasa, and Rui Pereira, managing director of Mabera Acabamentos Têxteis, were among the personalities present.
This initiative will allow companies to showcase in detail the evolution of their production techniques and technologies, as well as contribute to increasing their reputational value, and hopefully serve as an attraction for talent.
“Industrial tourism is an added value, because not only does it increase reputational value and give recognition for quality and trust, but it is also a unique opportunity to demonstrate the evolution and innovation in this sector and the importance of keeping it active,” says Cecília Mendes from the communications department.
“Guimarães has unique conditions for implementing industrial tourism. We have history, but we also have a significant industrial history, a history, more than at any other time, made of the future,” said Domingos Bragança.
Rui Pereira sees this as an opportunity for “people to realise that Coelima is active and has a very large collection of equipment and a library”. To T, the managing director gave the example of the internal newspaper launched in 1962: “The Coelho Lima Bulletin, initially Miral, was distributed among the workers, it served as a local newspaper at a time when people had little access to it. The paper was produced indoors. It was very much linked to sport (cycling and football), there was room for publications by workers who liked to write, including poetry,” he describes enthusiastically. Visits to Coelima will thus have a historical aspect, combined with the industrial surroundings.
Companies in the region have already opened their doors to groups of students and international delegations to showcase their facilities. Joining the Industrial Tourism Network is another way of letting the community know about the role of the textile industry and how well it combines tradition with innovation.
“Lameirinho was already informally available for industrial tourism, and we’ve had visits from all kinds of groups. Of course, giving visibility to the company is always another way for us to grow in notoriety,” says Tânia Lima, representing the home textiles company.
In this case, visitors will be able to learn about the history and the most important production units in the bed sheet manufacturing process, from weaving to packaging. “They will be able to see who is behind the manufacture of Lameirinho products and the dedication and care of these same people so that the product reaches our customers beyond reproach. To be officially part of a national tourist experience is a privilege,” she concludes.
Cecília Mendes also sees it as an opportunity to “demythologise myths about this industry”. “Speaking of spinning in particular, it’s an area that doesn’t easily attract human resources due to the lack of knowledge about the production process,” she says. The visits will therefore allow them to “get to know the entire production process of a spinning mill, from receiving the stems from the plants. “We can say that you will have the unique experience of seeing the modern process of an old manual practice.”