In the first chapter, I shared my earliest steps. Now I want to remember my entry into the job market. In 1970—when Brazil became three-time world champion—I got my first job as an office boy at 'Roupas Profissionais Primor' in Itaim, São Paulo. The office was a new world. I followed the sales flow, watched negotiation techniques, improved my typing, and soon was promoted to office assistant.

After my first contact with the textile market, I never stopped. In 1974, together with my cousin, we turned a garage in Leopoldina, São Paulo into a uniform workshop. I still remember the sound of the Singer machines. With clear goals and an initial client base, we built our own brand. That’s how Ideal Work was born—on October 24, 1974, with six employees, marking a new chapter in our lives.

In 1975 we faced a challenge that could change our future: an order for eight thousand lab coats from Tintas Wanda. That order allowed us to invest in new machines and expand. The garage began to feel too small, and growth demanded a bigger space. That same year I bought my first car: a yellow Beetle—more than transportation, a symbol of progress.

1976 was another turning point. After two intense years in the garage where our dreams began, we moved to a larger space in Pirituba. That year we became a certified manufacturer for Santista, Brazil’s leading uniform fabric maker—raising our standing and opening doors that once seemed out of reach. It was also a year of new challenges and learning that strengthened the foundations for our next steps.

In 1980 we moved again—this time from Pirituba to a 2,200 m² warehouse in Lapa. Even in what many called the 'lost decade', we kept growing. The change was not only physical: it represented a structural and operational leap, enabling us to serve larger orders. One milestone I’ll never forget was buying our first box truck, a key tool to support expansion.

In the mid-1980s, Brazil faced severe economic crisis. For Ideal Work, it was also a chance to reinvent ourselves. Between 1985 and 1986, I decided to diversify by launching our Night Line sleepwear collection. It expanded our customer base and positioned us in a new segment, bringing innovation and helping consolidate our presence in the market.

In 1991 I made one of the boldest decisions of my journey: moving to a new, high-standard building in Jandira, near São Paulo. With 5,000 m² built area, we increased capacity to 8,000 pieces per day and produced over 2 million pieces a year. We also grew to more than 300 employees. By then, we were leaders in men’s sleepwear, and the structure prepared us to meet growing demand.

At the start of the 2000s, the textile market changed dramatically in Brazil. Major retailers struggled, affecting the whole sector. In response, Ideal Work made the hard decision to leave the large department-store segment and seek new opportunities. In 2005, we entered the corporate uniform market by acquiring Duplo R—opening a new chapter and new horizons for the business.

In 2024, we celebrate 50 years of a journey that began with a dream and brought us to the position of Brazil’s most sustainable uniform company. Our path has been defined by innovation, quality, and environmental responsibility. Today we operate five manufacturing units in Jandira (SP), Pilar do Sul (SP), Santo Antônio da Platina (PR), Macaé (RJ), and a distribution center in Cambuí (MG). We keep writing our story with the same passion that brought us here—on a path of innovation, commitment, and sustainability. Antonio Rodrigues – CEO, Ideal Work Group

Now that you know a bit more about who we are, we invite you to watch our institutional video. It captures, in images, the essence of Ideal Work: dedication, innovation, and respect for those who wear our uniforms. Since 1974, we’ve evolved with a focus on protection, well-being, and the worker’s identity—always aligned with today’s needs and looking to the future.