Mundotêxtil has grown with logistics and distribution structures in the main markets, always giving special attention and following the evolution of its international customers. For this very reason, Mundotêxtil dominates the entire value chain and sells everything from bath articles, such as towels, bath and spa sets, beach towels, collections for hotels and children, to home accessories and bed textiles. In addition to this variety of products, the company expanded its investments and launched its own and licensed brands such as Bianca, Blank Home, Risart and MCM (Mozambique Cotton Manufacturers).

Among several countries, Mundotêxtil is present in Spain, France, Israel, Mozambique or the USA, where it has a showroom on 5th Avenue, in New York.

A sustained form of value creation

Mundotêxtil has always adopted a strategy based on the creation of added value products, largely because it is necessary to invest in differentiation processes compared to other companies competing in the market. José Lima, responsible for Mundotêxtil, defends this perspective stating that “the issue of differentiation arises from the need to face massive competition, especially of Asian origin, based fundamentally on price and the need to follow or even anticipate market trends”. In addition, Mundotêxtil faces the need for differentiation at the product level in the search for different qualities and with the systematic introduction of "design". “Quality, design and innovation correspond to evolutionary processes throughout the company's existence,” he says.

On the other hand, it is mainly at the level of the company's performance that Mundotêxtil seeks a more notable differentiation. For José Lima, “the company's relationship with the environment, with the community and with its partners, alongside the product, is decisive for a differentiation in the search for the international leadership of Mundotêxtil.”

In addition to adopting this policy, the company's success is also due to the strategic partnerships it has created in recent years with portuguese university institutions and with some autonomous R&D entities linked to the textile area, for the development of new products. "The main objective is not only the search for significant improvements in properties for the use of the terry fabric (absorption and drying), but also the search for new properties that can generate new products for new applications", guarantees the head of Mundotêxtil.

The connection with the Fibrenamics international platform arises from this assumption and in order to consolidate the strategy of this company in betting on differentiating products and added value. In this sense, the company's effort to value its products is continued, in order to increase Mundotêxtil's response to new requests and new customers. In the words of José Lima, "this partnership has allowed Mundotêxtil to increase its R&D skills and acquire know-how in new areas, which will enable the development of new products."

For the coming years, the goals are already defined ...

Despite all the adversities and difficulties that Mundotêxtil has been facing throughout its 40 years of life, namely the opening of Europe to unequal competition from Turkey and Asian countries, the balance could not be more positive. The company has an established presence in the main markets and maintains a close relationship with the most relevant and demanding customers in each of these markets. Nowadays, both Mundotêxtil and its products are recognized internationally by partners and even by consumers.

According to José Lima, for the coming years, the goals are already defined and will consist of “reaching a turnover of 50 million euros in 2020; maintain employment volume; to grow sustainably in new markets; affirm the Mundotêxtil Blank brand; deepen and obtain results from ongoing R & D activities; to recover verticalization and consolidate internationalization with the cotton agro-industrial project in Mozambique, not forgetting a reinforcement of sustainability and optimization of the chain of value”.

Date: January/2016
Interviewed: José Lima, Manager - Mundotêxtil