After a double-digit growth in 2015, +11.5% to 36 million euros, J. F. Almeida prepares to give an equal jump and reach «40 million euros at the end of this year», revealed in an article published in Jornal Têxtil’s April issue, the company’s president, Joaquim Almeida.
A growth that also should pass by the conquest of the US, «a big market, with potential», and the consolidation of the investment in new business areas, such as the sale of dyed yarns. «We sell the yarns ready to enter the machine. It is a very quick response and it has added-value for customers», he underlines.
It is also to reinforce this rapid response to customer that J. F. Almeida inaugurated last January, at a ceremony sponsored by the Minister of Economy, Manuel Caldeira Cabral, a new logistics centre. «What is our success? It’s our response», admits the company’s president. «We completed just now a logistics warehouse precisely to have an immediate response, items in stock and to have, within 24 to 48 hours, the goods at the customer’s home. This at European level», he explained. «This logistics warehouse has the capacity for 4,400 pallets, which corresponds to 160 TIR trucks», he indicated.
Last year, its image was renewed, in a process that involved everything, from the logo to the catalogues. Regarding the collections, «we have never invested so much in design as now, we have a lot of people in creation», assured Joaquim Almeida to Jornal Têxtil.
All this investment, both in human resources and technology – from spinning to manufacture, through weaving and the ennoblement – is mirrored in J. F. Almeida’s collection to 2016, with the focus on home textiles with printed yarns and cotton blends with linen, modal, viscose, lyocell, … «Portugal is in a good position. Speaking of terry towels, we are recognized as the best, not only at European level but globally. The recent crisis – because there are crises that are also beneficial – forced us to increase our efforts, to be more professional and to develop new products with better quality and design», he justified. «This industry is important to our country as an employer, as an exporter», he emphasized.
J. F. Almeida’s resources are not limited, however, to terry towels, although this is undeniably the flag-product of the company. «We are not only directed to terry towels», assured Joaquim Almeida. «Our strategy is essentially the production of terry towels, but are also introducing other products that bring in added-value. Thus, we are in other segments where we feel there’s less competition, where we can make a difference», he clarified, while stating that the goal, always, «is to serve the customer», which has already become the company’s motto.
