Welcome to Paulo de Oliveira | phone Tel. : + 351 275 320 200 English keyboard_arrow_down Catalogue Paulo de Oliveira Lanifício menuMENU HISTORY OUR VALUES KNOW HOW OUR STORY IS THE EXPRESSION OF THE ASPIRATIONS AND HARD WORK OF OUR PEOPLE IT STARTS IN 1936 IN COVILHÃ THE PLACE Situated on the hillside of the highest mountain in Portugal “Serra da Estrela”, Covilhã was always a favorite shelter for sheep due to the abundant green grass that grows up in the mountain. Besides the very good conditions for sheep farming the mountain also provided abundant wood and very good quality water that favored the installation of the first handmade WOOL manufacturers and its commerce. When the county status was granted to Covilhã in 1186 the charter letter of D. Sancho I (King of Portugal) already mentioned the existence of several wool productions in the village. It is said that even the city name results from the contraction of “cova da lã” (which means “shelter for wool”). In the following centuries the city grew around wool craftsmanship. In 1677 the first official wool textile mill was established in Covilhã. For that purpose, several foreign technicians were brought to region. In 1764 the “Real Fábrica de Panos” (Royal Textile Factory) was established to produce the finest fabrics and promote the development of this art. The building is now home of the public University and the Wool Museum of the Universidade da Beira Interior. In 1864 the first Portuguese Industrial School was created in Covilhã to cater for the demand of specialized and skilled work force for the growing textile industry. It is not a surprise that our town was known as “the Portuguese Manchester”. THE PEOPLE Covilhã is by tradition a city of wool production, the culture of wool manufacturing being inbred into the local history and culture. The know-how passed from generation to generation and is deeply embroiled in the city culture - everyone speaks the “wool and textile” language. THE FAMILY - OUR BACKBONE We are a family company and we are proud to follow traditional family rules: Respect for self and others Responsibility for actions Support, help and assistance whenever required Promotion of dialogue and comprehension amongst parties Inspire and help others pursue and achieve their goals and objectives Always work with passion and love SOME CURIOSITIES THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW The Merino sheep wool is valued for being one of the best and finest in the world, was brought to Australia only in 1797. However the Merino race was pure bred in the Iberian Peninsula. Some of the masters and technicians from abroad that came to Covilhã to install the first factory came from Ireland and it is said that they travelled as the servants of the Portuguese D. Catarina de Bragança (Queen of England at the time). In 1703, Portugal signed the Methuen Treaty with England (also known as the Treaty of the Fabrics and Wine), whereby the Portuguese promised to buy textiles from England and the English to buy Portuguese wines. With only 3 clauses it is the shortest text of European diplomacy! INTERESTING FACTS 1936 1º Registo da José Paulo Oliveira JR como fábrica de lanifícios 1964 Beginning of the exports 1967 Installation of the Dyeing Department 1973 Transfer to a new building on the outskirts of the city 1974 Installation of the Spinning Department (Spinning 1) 1985 Installation of the Finishing Department Exports exceed 50% of the sales volume 1993 Installation of the robotised yarn warehouse Renovation and automatization of the dyeing department 2000 Acquisition of Texteis Moura & Matos and Penteadora 2002 Installation of the waste water treatment plants in Paulo de Oliveira and Penteadora 2003 Acquisition of Nova Penteação, now Tessimax 2014 First solar panels and renovation of finishing 2016 Renovation of the weaving department with quick change system 2017 Expansion of production and new offices 2020 Installation of 8662 more photovoltaic panels (2991 Kwp) COMPANY NUMBERS SUSTAINABILITY PRODUCTS QUICK SERVICE WOOL&STRETCH NEWS/EVENTS CONTACTS 2020 © Paulo de Oliveira | All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy