T
The Portuguese company Coltec, which has just completed four decades of existence, has expanded its facilities and increased production capacity with new machinery. An investment of around 5.2 million euros that made Coltec the European leader in textile heat sealing and lamination.
From the approximately 2,300 m2 of the old facilities, the company grew to more than 7,500 m2, which allowed for the modernization and expansion of the machinery park. The change came in 2019, just in time to fight back against Covid-19’s unforeseen challenge.
Thanks to the new production and storage capacity, in 2020 the company reached a daily production capacity of around 40 thousand meters of woven fabrics for the manufacture of disposable equipment for the health area. Working continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the company closed the year with a record turnover of around 7.3 million euros, after the 5.5 million reached in 2019.
Along with the new machinery, the company also invested in an internal laboratory that allowed the entry into the world of technical fabrics for the medical and hospital sectors – which quickly were put through the test – and the automotive area.
“We are known in Europe as the company with the most heat-sealing and laminating capacity. Products that only we can make, such as special features for fashion, leather goods and footwear, with snakeskin or leopard skin imitations”, explains CEO Paulo Neves, adding that the new machines allowed Coltec to verticalize the entire production. “From the design to the final product, we are the only ones in Portugal and in Europe. There is only an alternative in Italy”, he explains.
Leader in the provision of textile lamination services, direct gluing and coating with thermal adhesives, and breathable and waterproof membranes, Coltec exports around 90% of production.