Entering the Viarco factory in São João da Madeira is like entering a primary school of the last century: wooden stairs, white walls with graphite marks, smell of glue and pencils and people dressed in the same gown.
José Vieira, great-grandson of Manoel Vieira Araújo, founder of the brand that already has more than a century of history, welcomes us. José arrived in Viarco at the age of 20 and knows every corner of the house. Graduated in marketing, he began by representing his mother in the general meetings and is currently at the helm of the family business with his wife. Making the factory a heritage of municipal interest and increasingly investing in industrial tourism are two major objectives to ensure its continuity. Viarco is, since 2011, one of the 15 companies that are part of the industrial circuit of the municipality, where footwear and headgear are kings. It receives 10,000 visits a year and to get to know it, it is mandatory to wear a white coat and a foot protection. “Graphite is very dirty,” explains José.