ANIL
ANIL - Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Lanifícios (National Association of Wool Industries) is a sectoral structure that represents textile companies and associations that are active in the subsector of Wool in Portugal.
This represents and defends the interests of the wool industry, responding to their needs, to ensure his development and promotion.
The first Industrial Wool Association emerged in 1820, known as the Grémio da Covilhã, a city with a considerable number of factories. This Grémio was headquartered in Lisbon. It was succeeded in 1889 by the Industrial and Commercial Association of Covilhã, whose first Director was José Maria da Silva Campos Melo, an industrialist and philanthropist, who greatly promoted modernisation of the woollen industry and created the first Industrial School in Portugal, where, for the next 80 years, technicians for this industry were trained.
This association lasted until 1936, when, after long conversations with the government and acceptance of the conditions demanded by the industrialists, of management autonomy and economic independence, it became a Federation, along with its respective Grémios.
The National Federation of Woollen Industries, presided for 33 years by Dr. João Ubach Chaves, who brought important values, created the Welfare Fund for the Woollen Industry with special benefits, ordered the construction of a housing development for the industry workers, with 2 beach camps for children of employees and constructed a building for storage, wool treatment and other analysis laboratories. The total cost of the investment, in 1949, was over 125,000.00 euros, coming totally from his own funds.
With the end of the corporate system after the 1974 Revolution, ANIL was founded, and Paulo Nina de Oliveira was elected President, who performed impressively as director of the association.
He was succeeded in 1995 by Dr. Joaquim Mota Veiga, member of the Board since 1979 and influential Vice President of Anil from 1986 to 1995, marked by his untiring fight against unrestrained globalisation of world trade.
Currently the Board Chairman is José Alberto Robalo, who has continued the work of his predecessors.
Engineered Products and Services for the wool business
- Washing
- Combing
- Spinning of Combed Articles
- Spinning of Carded Articles
- Weaving
- Dyeing
- Finishing
- Combed Fabrics
- Carded Fabrics
- Decorative threads
- Threads for carpets
- Threads for knitting
- Threads for weaving
- Threads for knitwear
- Threads for home textiles
- Knitwear
- Home Textiles
- Combed Articles
Trade missions
In 1997, ANIL organised a trade mission to the United States of America, one of the markets with the greatest potential and interest for its members. This reflected ANIL’s increased efforts to put its members in contact with potential clients and/or investors, as well as agents.
In 2000, it decided to invest in an emerging market, i.e. Argentina, thus managing to bring the national Wool Sub-sector closer to a new high potential market.
In 2003, it participated in a trade mission to China, a country with one of the most comprehensive markets to date.
In 2004, ANIL, supported by Selectiva Moda, participated in an important trade visit to Las Vegas and in 2005 to Moscow.
A joint visit by ANIL/ANIT in 2005 saw the Morocco market as its target, during which the Maghreb market was explored and in 2006 ANIL took part in a trade mission to Tunisia, which was supported by CITEVE (Technological Centre for the Textile and Clothing Industries).
ANIL has established important partnerships with AICEP (Business Development Agency), a body which specialises in establishing international contacts as a way of promoting its members in high potential markets and in establishing contact with emerging markets.
Over a two year period, ANIL organised three business events for businessmen from the national textile industry and the Spanish clothing industry. As a result of these events, there was an increase in exports to the neighbouring country. These events took place at the ANIL headquarters over a two year period, the last of which took place in October 1999 and was an exhibition of ANIL member products and their future potential.
The textile events came to an end because the objectives which had led to the organisation of the events had been achieved. As a consequence of these events there was a significant increase in sales made by ANIL members to the Spanish clothing industry.
