São Paulo – Brazilian company Lupo’s exports to the Arab countries have increased over the past four years. Last year, the socks and underwear manufacturer, which ranks among the largest in the segment in Brazil, exported over US$ 1 million in lingerie and men’s socks to Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. The company should soon start selling to North Africa as well. "We are negotiating with local distributors, and are enthused about the outlook for future deals," said the commercial director of the company, Valquírio Valquírio Cabral Júnior.
According to the director, the first Arab country that Lupo exported to was Lebanon, after which came the others. The trend, according to him, is for exports to the region to continue growing. “The Arab countries does not have a strong textile industry, therefore we have a chance of increasing our market share,” he said.
Presently, Lupo exports approximately 5% of its production to over 30 different countries. The company’s leading markets are France, Uruguay, Chile and the United States. The volume sold to the Arabs is still too low for the company. According to Cabral, exports to the region answer to less than 10% of total foreign sales.
In the market for almost 90 years, Lupo was one of the pioneers in the manufacturing of socks in Brazil. Italian immigrant Henrique Lupo and his family started making cotton socks for men in their living room, in 1921, using only two machines. In the 1940s, the company was one of the first to use polyamide in the manufacturing of men’s and children’s socks. In the 1950s, Lupo was also one of the pioneering companies in pantyhose manufacturing.
Based in the city of Araraquara, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Lupo owns five factories and has 2,200 employees. The company makes 80 million items a year, and offers 7,500 different items. In addition to socks for babies, children and adults, it produces men’s underwear, women’s and children’s lingerie, and pantyhose.
Contact
Lupo
Telephone: (+55 16) 3303 4000
Site: www.lupo.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
