History
65 years Innovating to Build Better
Tigre S. A. arose from the daring and pioneering spirit of the young businessman João Hansen Júnior. It began in 1941, with a small plant of combs made of ox horn called ‘Tigre’, located in Joinville. Diversion came in the following year, with the production of the Sawa pipes.
They were difficult times because of the 2nd World War, but there were also opportunities, generated by new habits and new products. It did not take long for one of the most revolutionary novelties to arrive in Brazil: Plastic. Instead of seeing the new material as a threat to ox horn, Tigre started to use it to make its products and soon the first injector was purchased, which allowed the production of combs, cigarette holders, cups, plates, toys and fans.
At that time, the few fans which existed were imported and expensive. So the opportunity was exactly to take the public unawares and manufacture cheap, plastic fans, so that all the women could have one. Thus the ‘Painting School’ produced more than 40 different models of fans, which were a huge success at the time.
At the end of the 50’s, when the company had already progressed a lot with a wide range of extruded and injected plastic products, João Hansen believed that the plastic material could go much further, and invested energy in a daring project – an absolutely new and fascinating product at the time: Pipes and Fittings made of PVC for hydraulic installations. 
To many people it seemed an absurd idea, because the plastic seemed fragile to replace the galvanized iron pipes. And this was the great challenge which fuelled Tigre. From this moment on the company did not cease to seek what was new and use creativity and dynamism to launch the most innovating actions on the market.
This pioneering spirit was the registered trademark of Tigre, its way of being. And this spirit will present throughout its trajectory.
Having people as its greatest asset, Tigre has recorded all along its history countless actions which reflect its belief that it is the people of Tigre who make the difference. In 1946 it already had a fully equipped clinic to attend to its employees, distribution of food at cost price, programs of basic education and professional recycling, besides regular bonuses at the end of the year at a time at which it was not mandatory to pay an end-of-year bonus.
Tigre has also always been a model of innovating Technical Assistance and Capacitation of the professionals of its market. Since their creation in 1967, the EATs (Tigre Improvement Schools) have been an integrated marketing success of the company. The people trained by Tigre became a reference in the market, being preferred by the builders using PVC pipes and fittings.
The actions performed by Tigre to get rid of prejudice and consolidate the use of PVC in building are now a part of history, being increasingly frequent and creative. In the ferry of Guarujá the radio said: “You who are in the queue for Guarujá, try to rust a piece of Tigre PVC pipe which you will be given” and also to the drivers: “As you are going to the beach, try to rust this pipe”.
In the 70’s, with daring campaigns, Tigre was the first company in the building sector to advertise on the television. Joana D´Água was an unforgettable personality, as was her partner Ted Tigre, or the predecessor Zeca Diabo, a character enacted by the actor Lima Duarte. The pioneering manner in which they managed the brand meant that Tigre won many awards and consolidated its efforts to communicate as one of the most significant programs of integrated marketing executed by a national company.
The Tigre operational excellence was also undeniable, being maintained in constant technological renewal. With large investments in research and marketing, Tigre was always a market reference in the development of new systems, of indisputable quality, which rationalize the work and facilitate the consumer’s life.
Tigre is the leading company in Latin America in manufacturing pipes, fittings and accessories made of PVC. It is also a leader in manufacturing brushes, with Pincéis Tigre, and frames made of PVC in Brazil, with the brand Claris. The Tigre Group, present in 10 countries, has 5,200 employees, sales exceeding US$ 1 billion (2007) and manufacturing units in Joinville (SC), Rio Claro (SP), Camaçari (BA), Castro (PR), Indaiatuba (SP), Distribution Centers in Recife (PE) and Uruguay and external units in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, USA, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.