Immagine IA
The origins of Renner brand
History of the group
AI picture
From the Baltic to Brazil
a world full of colors
It was 1922 when Arthur Koepke dropped his suitcase on the Mauá pier in Porto Alegre. A journey to the other side of the world for Koepke, his wife and daughters. A family from Pomerania, a Baltic region between Germany and Poland.
A sailor by profession and chemistry enthusiast, Koepke had decided to change his life. Destination: the southernmost state of Brazil. To make a fresh start. As happened to thousands of migrants right after the Great War.
Settled in the Navegantes quarter, an area with a strong presence of German immigrants, Arthur quickly integrated partly due to his innate curiosity and extraordinary creative leverage.
One of the first label of a stain created by Koepke
Renner and Koepke, the meeting
Twelve months after his arrival, the European found work at Frederico Engel Cia textile company. It was then that he met Antonio Jacob Renner, director of the company and grandson of German emigrants. Renner, born in 1884, had inherited the entrepreneurial spirit from his father Jacob, owner of several mills. The meeting between Koepke and Renner was the turning point that would change the course of this story.
One of the first label of a stain created by Koepke
Chemistry as a hobby
In his spare time, Arthur Koepke devoted himself to chemistry, mixing natural pigments found in the quarter. He thus perfected a waterproofing compound for wool that earned him the admiration of Felipe Leopoldo Renner, Antonio’s brother. The two decided to set up a dyes factory.
In 1927, with an investment of thirty million Brazilian réis, Felipe Leopoldo and Arthur founded Renner Koepke Cia. Already in that early understanding was manifested what would later turn out to be a historical constant of Renner Group. That is, the fortunate meeting of industrial experience and creative impetus.
Reko (Renner Koepke Cia) takes its first steps
Renner brothers
The wardrobe, the Guaíba River
and the coatings
Renner Koepke Cia. began producing dyes, using domestic raw materials such as iron oxide and quartz. Koepke and his employees worked tirelessly to improve the formulas. Initial production was done manually, but soon advanced machinery was introduced.
One day Arthur, Felipe Leopold and his younger brother Waldemar decided to restore an old wooden wardrobe. To save money, the three bought a coating of a domestic brand instead of an imported one. They applied one, two, three coats of coating and waited two days. But the coating did not dry. The high humidity in the area near the Guaíba River certainly played a major role in the failure to dry, but the three friends saw in that failure a huge business opportunity. The Brazilian quality of coatings was poor. They were going to improve it. That episode became the catalyst for Renner Koepke Cia.’s mission, which turned strongly toward the production of technologically advanced coatings.
From Great Depression to the horse
In the 1930s, the world fell into the Great Depression and Brazil underwent economic and political transformations. Despite the difficulties, the coating company of Renner Koepke Cia. took advantage of the opportunities created by the crisis, diversifying and also launching into the production of packaging for various industries.
This expansion led to the establishment of Metalgráfica Renner, a spin-off that would become a national reference.
In 1941, a devastating flood hit Porto Alegre, submerging the coating factory. An extremely hard blow, which could have decreed the end of this story.
But the word “resignação” (resignation) never belonged to Renner lexicon. With Ernesto Luiz Herrmann joining the company, the new Renner Herrmann Cia Ltda found a new location and continued to grow.
It made it through World War II unscathed, and in the late 1940s the company moved to a new site with modern infrastructure.
The first Renner Herrmann factory in Navegantes quarter in Porto Alegre
Here, the company continued to invest in vertical integration of production, building an oil refinery and developing new products. In 1957, Renner name was reflected in the new logo of a white horse, a symbol of agility, strength and courage.
Conquering the Brazilian market
The Brazil of the early 1960s was under great political tension, which led to a frightening economic crisis. As a consequence, a military regime was established in 1964 that would last 21 years.
On the eve of this difficult era, Renner Herrmann was already positioned as an iconic brand with high-quality products and efficient distribution.
The group had to change the retail rules. The market, in fact, had until then provided for a distribution limited to one retail shop per town. In individual communities, these large hardware shops exercised a veritable monopoly regime. The decision to disrupt this custom by opening new shops was not an easy one.
The old merchants got on the side, so much so that Tintas Renner lost the leadership in some locations. In most cities, however, the decision turned out to be a happy one and started a new business model.
The solvent-based coating production department in Porto Alegre (1950s)
To support the growth of Rio Grande do Sul market, Renner also adopted an innovative direct delivery system with its own truck drivers.
In this context, Renner also initiated a system that was pioneering at the time, called ‘retira de pronta entrega’, in which the retailer could pick up individual items in bulk. A process that eased the burden on retailers’ warehouses, who could use the on-demand system for emergencies and low-turnover colours.
The dealer could place the order in the morning and come by the warehouse an hour later to pick it up!
A highly efficient tailor-made service that sculpted the entrepreneurial character of Renner Group.
So much so that even today, everywhere in the world, flexibility and speed are distinctive traits of the people working for the horse.