HiperImperio: Portugal’s Rising Star

The Imperpar Group has been founded on the tyre business and tyres accounted for around 70 per cent of the Group’s gross revenue in 2001. Consequently, HiperImperio is the core element of the group though Managing Director António Barros dos Santos expects to see the emphasis gradually change by 2004. Tyres will remain the core business at 60 per cent of revenue, but other sectors of the business are expected to grow at a greater rate.

The key targets for the tyre business will be to develop market share in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Spain. He sees no immediate overseas investment. Development will be undertaken by acquiring existing independent businesses.

Dos Santos: “We also have a franchise operation. These Club Auto Box outlets are not owned by us but are effectively controlled by us. There are currently about 20 Club Auto Box franchises and this is another sector through which we can expand.

We also have 12 new shops opening in the New Year throughout Portugal. Our retail presence in Spain is spread with three outlets in Galicia, one in Valladolid, three in Madrid, 5 in the Balearics and 12 in the Canarians Islands. But there is still room for a great deal of development in the Spanish market.

We sell to over 300 dealers throughout Portugal and 100 in Spain.HiperImperio has also introduced its own brand passenger car tyre under the Rolltec name, produced by a global tyre manufacturer to international standards. Currently, there is a restricted range of fast moving sizes but the range is expected to expand in the coming year.

HiperImperio uses this brand as its own in Portugal and sells it exclusively through its own outlets. However, its own distribution companies sell the brand on a global scale and it is available to other distributors in European markets for national distribution through Europe as a private brand.The business was built around the retread industry and astute business development has taken the Imperpar Group from carcasses and retreading to a multi-discipline business playing on a global market.