NEGÓCIO - NEGOTIUM - BUSINESS

«The etymology of "business" relates to the state of being busy either as an individual or society, as a whole, doing commercially viable and profitable work.» (Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business). Latin NEGOTIUM means NEGATIO of OTIUM (leisure). In Portuguese language Negócio, Negação do Ócio (lazer).
In History of Humankind at the moment that a Person or Family turns more and more dependent of the work to the others Persons, for Community and Society, that work turns more and more dependent of it social validation by it needs, it Value for Society. If other social players don´t recognize it potential value, the fruit of the work (a product, a service, a merchandise) can´t be changed by other fruit of work, in the course of History by a recognized symbol of the Value, the money.
By science and technology, by invention and inovation Women and Men turned work more and more soft, less and less hard ... potencial time for leisure grows more and more like Karl Marx said in XIX century ...
A long and interesting travel we can do in this way with actual potential of work is more and more a pleisure like a leisure, and leisure is more and more a work a dream in cork!


OTIUM: «The Baths at Caracalla» Laurentius Alma-Tadema (1899)



From Portugal to the world with Love (AMOR) ...

Sandra Martins, «Chairwomen» of PELCOR, from her dreams leaded a successful Portuguese company that transform the MATERIA (cork of oak) in a PRODUCT of Fashion or Leisure chains of value.
«A diagonal sectionthrough the trunk of a cork oak, Quercus suber» photo by Plantsurfer (Wikipedia) and the internet site of PELCOR in a historical moment:



Sandra Martins in a Cork Oak: Portugal is leader in the world in cork production and in share market in international trade.


A Lisbon shop of PELCOR

PORTUGAL have proud of PELCOR vision and mission!

« 

Project

More than a fashion accessory, every Pelcor product is the result of nine years of waiting. The warm sun in the meadow. Cold and crisp mornings. Birds that come and go. Numbers registering the time to come. The passing of time. Generations of knowledge, interpreted by old hands that love and care. A scent that permeates our memory and serves as inspiration.
Pelcor® is about design, innovation and sustainability – qualities that are conveyed to our customers through every accessory in the collection. This is an ecological brand, inventive and sophisticated, that embodies a single, natural product: cork skin.
Pelcor® accessories are sustainable. They contribute to the renewal of an ecosystem – the Portuguese cork oak forests - and are manufactured in local factories using Eco-friendly materials.
Pelcor® with its trendy undertone, combines contemporary design with excellent craftsmanship. Translated into simple shapes from natural materials such as cork and leather, the collection is appropriate for work, special occasions, and in more relaxed settings. The different textures of cork skin bring a touch of elegance and individuality to each accessory.
Pelcor® offers beautiful accessories for everyday life, the office and travel.

Cork

The essence of every Pelcor piece, cork is a vegetal fabric extracted from the cork oak tree that thrives in the Mediterranean.
A symbol of renewal and longevity, the cork oak has a lifetime of 250-350 years and is the only tree whose bark regenerates itself after each harvest. It takes 20 to 25 years before the first cork can be removed from a cork oak. After the first extraction, cork can be harvested every nine years. An adult cork oak produces several hundred pounds at each harvesting and will live for many generations. It survives and prospers as part of a unique worldwide ecosystem: the cork oak meadow.
After the tiradia (process of harvesting), the cork is left to dry in the meadow. Raw planks of cork are then boiled, making them more elastic and easier to flatten, after which they are sorted by thickness and quality. Only the finest quality of cork is selected for manufacturing into Pelcor® accessories.
Characterized by an elusive scent of dry wood and a smooth texture, Pelcor® cork skin is extremely light, waterproof, flexible, resistant, insulating and environmentally friendly. As in nature, no two Pelcor pieces are exactly alike – subtle chromatic variations make each an utterly unique article.

History

The history of Pelcor began 30 years ago with a cork factory in São Brás de Alportel in Portugal, in the heart of the country’s cork industry.
That factory, to this day, makes champagne corks for many of the finest vintners in France and Spain. It has been the life’s work of three generations of Correias, the latest being Sandra Correia, granddaughter of the founder.
In 2003, Ms. Correia challenged her father with the idea of making cork more “feminine” and, in fact, fashionable. She envisioned creating accessories out of cork skin as a way to help sustain the cork industry and innovate products that are both stylish and practical.
Her vision was realized with the first accessory she made: a cork umbrella. It was so exuberantly received at an international trade show that it launched her new brand, Pelcor. The brand’s name is taken from the Portuguese words for skin (pel) and cork (cor). Pelcor® offered a range of innovative fashion accessories, and products for the home and office, marrying compelling designs with creativity. It developed partnerships with a number of designers and companies including ModaLisboa | LisboaFashionWeek to develop limited edition accessories as well, among them the Love Bag (2011), Freedom Bag (2012) and Trust Bag (2013.)
It didn’t take long for Pelcor to become an iconic, international Portuguese brand, one enlisted again and again to represent its country. Pelcor was called upon to create custom merchandise for the NATO Summit in Lisbon (2010) and for such international luminaries as President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In 2011, Ms. Correia was named “Best Entrepreneur of Europe,” awarded by the European Parliament and European Council of Women Entrepreneurs. The award reflects her role in reinventing Portugal’s traditionally conservative cork products sector. In 2013 Pelcor® celebrates its 10th anniversary, with expansion into the U.S. and other key markets. »

https://www.pelcor.pt/en/mundo-pelcor/

In a work of Pedro Sousa Tavares for Diário de Notícias (September 20, 2013), Sandra Martins said that United States of America (USA) represented between 20% and 30% of turnover, that is «a very much eco-friendly market (...) Look to Portugal with kindness, like our country and are motivated to help to open United States for Portugal».
About the «New Begining» iniciative lauched by the President of USA with the participation of PELCOR, Sandra Martins said: «Quando explico o que fazemos, as pessoas que não conhecem ficam interessadas. Muitos dos empresários de 29 países que estão comigo não conhecem o sobreiro. E ficam estupefactos com as coisas que se podem fazer com o sobreiro.»
For Portuguese persons with spirit of iniciative advised: «Têm de ser visionários e de acreditar naquilo que fazem. Depois precisam de bons profissionais e colaboradores que asegurem, em todas as áreas, que essa visãoo se concretiza».