Henrique Lupo arrived in Brazil when he was 11 years old, coming with his family from Italy. He would have been just another immigrant if it weren't for the legacy he left for the country.
The family disembarked on March 21, 1888 at Port of Santos, coming from the city of Strigno, located in the province of Trento, region of Trentino-Alto Adige, at the extreme northern Italy.
Heading towards the interior of São Paulo, the Lupos arrived at Araraquara on May 13, 1888. Four years later, Henrique was already applying the knowledge learned from his father Teodoro in Italy, working in the family's watchmaking business.
The beginning of a power
Looking for a more profitable venture to support his family, as he had ten children, Henrique – born on March 21, 1877, also in Strigno – opened on March 21, 1921 the Araraquara Socks Factory.
Production was artisanal, in the family home, with two sewing machines in the living room and the dyeing process in the bathrooms.
In 1927, Rolando Lupo, one of Henrique's sons, went to Europe and from there he brought new manufacturing techniques.
The Lupo family also started importing yarn to make socks, which improved in quality.
The business was renamed Lupo Socks in 1937 and, ten years later, it was already the largest manufacturer of men's socks, all made of 100% cotton.
In the 60s, the production of women's socks began, using machines with 474 needles, which guaranteed quality and elegance to the product.
The reinvention of an empire
The company was renamed LUPO S/A in 1987, to highlight product diversification. It is worth highlighting the importance of Liliana Aufiero, now 76 years old, granddaughter of Henrique Lupo, who took over the business in 1993.
At that time, Lupo was on the verge of bankruptcy and Liliana adopted measures that revived the company, such as cutting production costs, expanding the product line and acquiring cutting-edge equipment.
In 1994, the company began opening new retail stores with all of the brand's products.
In the following years, the Wolf increased its participation in the foreign market and began to associate its products with famous brands.
He started manufacturing underwear for brands like zoomp e knight, socks for sports brands such as Reebok e Speedo and lingerie for rose tea.
Lupo and the dream come true
In 2011, the company hired the player Neymar as the poster boy for his line of dress socks, underwear and pajamas.
Today Wolf has a line with more than 14 thousand products, from traditional socks to women's cellulite-reducing shorts, including scarves, caps, towels, backpacks and bags.
In 2019, the company recorded net revenue of R$901 million and net profit of R$111 million.
In March 2021, the company celebrated 100 years of founding, reaping the fruits of the work of a family of Italian immigrants who chose Brazil to live and grow his entrepreneurial dreams.
O centenary It also brought the challenge of facing the coronavirus pandemic. Some measures were necessary, such as collective vacations, reduced working hours and, of course, the use of masks, alcohol gel and distancing from equipment. “For now, everything is under control”, assesses Liliana Aufiero.
Pride and identity of a city
For the mayor of Araraquara, Edinho Silva, Lupo’s history is intertwined with its own city history. “The company was born from a A very important family for our history, from a social, economic and political point of view. And it grows to become a spokesperson for the city, a source of pride and for the construction of our identity over the last 100 years.”
Listen to Edinho Silva’s testimony:
By Roberto Schiavon/Italianism
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