Ginita, 70 years of dedication to footwear

To trace Ginita's story we have to go back 70 years. On February 2, 1948, António Correia Alves, just 17 years old, set out on the adventure of making shoes. In the rural Portugal in the aftermath of World War II, then with five workers. Seven decades later, the businessman, now 87 years old, still walks the floor of the factory, whose management is now in the hands of his son, Albérico Alves, for whom the secret of the company's longevity is in daily work. Ginita is today one of the oldest footwear factories in the region, with a workforce of 117 people.

The Ginita shoe factory, one of the oldest and most respected exporters in the sector, celebrated its 70th anniversary on February 2.

This is a success story that began in 1948, when António Correia Alves, then only 17 years old, set out on the adventure of producing shoes.

The businessman is now 87 years old and still walks the floor of the factory, which presently has a workforce of 117 people, making Ginita one of the largest employers in the nearby parish of Escapães.

The management of the company is now also in the hands of the son of António Correia Alves, Albérico, who has been connected to the factory for 35 years. "Curiously, that is half the company's existence," he noted as we talked in the work office he keeps side by side with production.

When asked about the secret of the company's longevity, Albérico Alves is adamant: "It's coming to work every day, being there with all its staff." "Being present is very important," he says, underlining that Ginita is a "family company".

"Being honest with our customers and producing the best in our medium-high quality niche, with the best value for money at affordable prices" is the other side of his company's success. 

Ginita also stands out for its "exclusiveness in the production of unique models for its customers, proving the total confidence that stands out as its main attribute." "We work with major brands, perceive fashion trends and, together with our customers and our resident teams of stylists and modellers, develop our collections" he explains.

In a sector that requires constant adaptation, Albérico Alves stresses that "the level of sales, which is, of course, shown in invoicing, is inconsistent, as there are several factors that interfere with and influence footwear sales, which forces companies to  adapt" in order to respond to market fluctuations and demands.

With all of its production meant for export, footwear made in Ginita has France as its main destination, followed by the Dutch and Spanish markets.

Celebrating history, looking ahead to the challenges of the future

The challenges for the future of Ginita go through the continuous improvement of the quality at competitive prices, which is difficult with the rising  production costs, but Albérico Alves warns that "the labour will be a serious problem facing the industry. "

"There are no new people to replace those who are leaving the labour market and I mean both qualified and unskilled labour force. The few people who are entering are trained within the company," he says, concluding that, "despite improving the industry's salary conditions, it is complicated to hire people ". Albérico warns that if this trend is not opposed, companies in the sector may have to compete with each other to attract the best professionals.

"We have been trying to create conditions to give people stability, and as a result some of our workers have been with us for 45, 46 years," he says.

Throughout Ginita's 70-year history, the company also went through some troubled times, such as at "around the April Revolution", when the plant lost its Mozambique and Angola markets, which accounted for about 50 percent of its production. Albérico Alves recalls that it was with MOCAP (Portuguese Exhibition of Footwear, organized for over 20 years by APICCAPS) that the company began "to leverage exports to other countries".

Albérico Alves notes that "the time of large orders is over," stressing that "companies will have to adapt to manufacture smaller orders, and faster." It also highlights "proximity" to European markets as a "competitive advantage" for the Portuguese footwear industry.

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, on February 2, the exact day António Correia Alves started working in 1948, Ginita brought together around 180 people, among employees and guests, at Quinta de Santiago. The celebrations lasted for the night, with much excitement and conviviality among those who contribute to Ginita's successful path.