CR receives the Business Excellence Award
The company is stepping up its focus on internationalisation, design and investment in technology, and is preparing to launch its own brand.
CR has received the Business Excellence Award in the Turnover category, a recognition that confirms the company's sustained growth over recent years. The award is promoted by CENIT, the Textile Intelligence Centre, which in this edition recognised six companies in the sector.
Founded in 1987 in Guimarães, Cunha Ribeiro began as a small garment workshop focused on the domestic market. The arrival of the second generation, the brothers André, Miguel and Nuno Ribeiro, marked the start of a new phase, defined by internationalisation, a stronger industrial structure and a steady move up the value chain.
“Today, we are a fully export-oriented company,” says André Ribeiro, director of CR. Growth has gone hand in hand with continuous investment in infrastructure and a model based on direct relationships with clients, supported by in-house sales and creative teams. The group currently comprises three garment companies, which employ around 178 people.
One of the pillars of its recent performance has been its focus on design and product development. CR now has a team of 10 designers, split between the production unit and a studio in Porto, dedicated to trend research and co-creation with clients.
In 2024, the company reached a turnover of 30.8 million euros, an increase of 52% on the previous year. For 2025, the management expects further growth of around 6%.
In recent years, CR has invested more than 2.5 million euros in industrial modernisation, energy efficiency and the digitalisation of processes, including setting up its own laboratory and buying an ozone machine for greener washing. The company now covers around 40% of its own energy consumption, thanks to the installation of solar panels, and roughly 70% of its production is electrified. It also takes part in research projects in partnership with CIIMAR and the University of Porto, focused on sustainability and on optimising internal processes.
Aware of the risk of concentration, CR has been diversifying its portfolio of clients and markets. Spain is currently its main destination, but the company also works in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway and the USA, with a focus on clients in the mid to upper range.
Among the projects in preparation is the launch of its own brand, an initiative the company intends to develop with an independent, dedicated team. “It is an ambitious and demanding project, but it could be an important way to strengthen local production and ensure continuity,” admits André Ribeiro.
Despite the challenges facing the sector, including a shortage of skilled labour, CR's management remains optimistic about the company's future. The value of Made in Portugal, differentiation through service, sustainability and technological innovation remain the key factors in its strategy.