Casos de Ensino/ Gest o: Cristófoli Equipamentos de Biosseguran a: a Trajetória de um Visionário

The case in question aimed to describe and analyze the trajectory of the company Cristófoli Equipamentos de Biosseguran a, founded by the entrepreneur Ater Cristófoli in 1991, in Campo Mour o, Parana, Brazil. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the entrepreneur (founder) to gather data. Cristófoli started his business with neither a plan nor a significant amount of technical and market knowledge about the activity which he intended to undertake. Today, the company has 140 employees and its production has already surpassed the point of producing and delivering 80,000 machines to 30 countries. In addition to the friendship and family bonds relevant to the start of the business, the company has nurtured partnerships with suppliers. The partnerships (especially in early phase of the company) offered favorable conditions for innovation strategies that aligned with the strategies undertaken by Cristófoli. This teaching case can be used in the disciplines of Strategic Management, Strategic Planning, Entrepreneurship, for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, especially from the point of view of the entrepreneur’s role in the deployment, leverage, expansion and internationalization of business, and finding new markets.