Tigre

About Tigre

In 1941, in Joinville, Santa Catarina, a young entrepreneur named João Hansen Júnior acquired a small, struggling factory that made combs from ox horns. This was the seed of what would become Tigre S.A. Hansen Júnior saw potential in a novel material for Brazil at the time: plastic. He diversified the factory's production to include plastic pipes and fittings, a move that would define the company's future. The company's bet was on PVC, a material viewed with skepticism compared to the traditional metal pipes of the era. Tigre focused on educating the market, creating technical manuals and training courses for construction professionals to build trust in their innovative products. This strategy of building the category, not just the brand, proved successful, establishing Tigre as a market leader in Brazil. Over the decades, Tigre expanded its portfolio beyond pipes and fittings into painting tools, bathroom accessories, and infrastructure solutions. The company also grew internationally, establishing a presence in about 30 countries with multiple manufacturing plants in Brazil and abroad. Though it was once publicly listed, the founding family took the company private in 2003. A major financial event occurred in February 2022, when the private equity firm Advent International acquired a 25% stake in the company for R$1.35 billion. This investment was aimed at financing further expansion, particularly in the United States, and acquiring competitors. While there has been discussion about a potential IPO, the company remains privately held by the Hansen family and Advent.