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Almost Four Decades After the Foundation in 1986, the Forgotten Former Partner of Luciano Hang Disappears from the Scene While the “Véio da Havan” Consolidates Billion-Dollar Revenue, Expands Network Across the Country, and Even Faces the Havan Statue Set on Fire Amid Political Polarization That Puts Stores and Monuments of the Brand Under Spotlight.
The story of the forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang resurfaces, a key player in the creation of Havan in 1986 and now practically erased from popular memory. The report recalls that the chain was born in Brusque, Santa Catarina, from the partnership between Luciano Hang and Vanderlei de Limas, who named the store by combining their own names and established Havan Tecidos da Moda Ltda., before the relationship fell apart in 1991 after an accusation of misappropriation of high-value goods at the textile company Renaux.
Since 1991, when the partnership was dissolved and Luciano became the sole owner of Havan, the paths of the two former partners have taken opposite directions. While the forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang disappears from the map and avoids public appearances, the “Véio da Havan” accumulates daily revenue of R$ 50 million, reaching R$ 18 billion per year by 2025 and even sees the Havan Statue of Liberty become the target of fires and political disputes in cities like São Carlos, Porto Velho, and more recently, Petrolina.
From the Floor of Renaux to the Foundation of Havan in 1986
Before becoming names associated with retail, Luciano Hang and Vanderlei de Limas began their careers at Renaux, a traditional textile company from Santa Catarina.
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It was in this factory environment that the two identified the opportunity to start their own business, aiming for a large retail chain of fabrics and utilities.
In 1986, the duo formalized the partnership and opened Havan in Brusque.
The name combined “Ha” from Hang and “Van” from Vanderlei, directly referencing the original partnership.
The forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang participated in the strategic decisions and the daily routine of the new store while the two sought space in a competitive market, still far from the model of bright megastores with blue facades and statues at the entrance that would become a trademark years later.
Accusation of Theft, Police, and the Breakup in 1991
The dramatic turning point in the relationship came in 1991.
According to Luciano Hang himself, the friendship and partnership ended when he accused Vanderlei de Limas of having misappropriated high-value goods from Renaux, the company where both had worked.
The case left the corporate environment and began to attract police attention.
Faced with pressure and accusations from the former partner, Vanderlei admitted to the improper appropriation of the products, according to the released report.
The admission opened the way for the formal breakup of the partnership, making Luciano Hang the sole owner of Havan.
From then on, the former partner, who had shared the brand’s origin, stopped appearing in public, reinforcing the image of forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang in the dominant narrative about the retailer.
The Disappearance of the Forgotten Former Partner of Luciano Hang
After the breakup, the forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang disappears from the economics pages and general news.
Reports indicate that the businessman began to avoid interviews and public records, while the official biography of Havan, in campaigns and speeches, began to highlight almost exclusively the figure of Luciano as the solitary founder and uncontestable face of the brand.
In practice, Vanderlei de Limas’s fate remains uncertain.
The most recent references indicate that there are low chances of him achieving a similar position in the market after leaving the partnership, especially given the contrast with the current size of the group led by Hang.
The silence and absence of new relevant businesses reinforce the condition of a faded character in a story that began with two partners but is now told as the saga of a single “Véio da Havan.”
The Billion-Dollar Empire of the “Véio da Havan” Grows Without the Co-Founder
While the former partner disappears, Havan transforms into a national billion-dollar empire.
By 2025, Luciano Hang himself claims that the chain reaches daily revenue of R$ 50 million, equivalent to R$ 1.5 billion per month and R$ 18 billion per year, in a growth pace that consolidates the brand as one of the most visible in Brazilian retail.
The expansion includes large stores with standardized facades, a strong presence in advertising campaigns, and the figure of the “Véio da Havan” in ads, interviews, and social media.
The official narrative focuses on the entrepreneur who took risks, grew, and expanded the brand throughout the country, while the original involvement of the forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang almost never appears in the mass communication directed at the consumer audience.
Havan Statue on Fire and Political Dispute on the Facades
Alongside the growth in revenue, Havan began to face episodes of vandalism against one of its most visible symbols: the Statue of Liberty installed in front of the stores.
In the week leading up to the report’s publication, videos circulating on the internet showed a Havan statue in Petrolina, Pernambuco, completely on fire, with the monument, evaluated at R$ 1.5 million, completely destroyed by two unidentified individuals.
Luciano Hang himself stated that the attack was motivated by political disagreements and recalled that this was the third similar case, following incidents in São Carlos, São Paulo, and Porto Velho, Rondônia.
In a statement, the company classified the fire as “an attack on democracy and the right to exist”, requested that the video be shared, and released an 0800 number for reports, turning the statue into a symbol of political conflict beyond its role as an advertising piece.
How the Official Narrative Erases the Co-Founder from History
The recent trajectory of Havan shows that the more the retail empire grows and enters public disputes, the more the forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang drifts away from the official version of the story.
The choice to highlight a single founder in campaigns, public speeches, and institutional materials simplifies the origin of the brand and reinforces the image of individual leadership, even though documents and reports point to a formal partnership since 1986.
At the same time, the series of episodes involving billion-dollar revenue, national expansion, and attacks on the Havan statue stands in stark contrast to the silence surrounding Vanderlei de Limas, who participated in the creation of the company, was accused of misappropriating goods, broke the partnership in 1991, and disappeared from the public arena.
The very expression forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang summarizes the place he occupies today: present in historical records, but absent from the showcase in which the “Véio da Havan” has become a permanent character.
In light of a story in which the forgotten former partner of Luciano Hang helped create Havan, disappears after the accusation of misappropriation, and watches from afar as the empire and even the Havan statue catch fire in the center of controversies, in your opinion, should the public demand more transparency regarding Vanderlei de Limas’s role in the origin of the chain, or is the market likely to accept that the narrative remains concentrated solely on Luciano Hang?
Matéria ineficiente.
Se foi comprovado na justiça que o ex roubou, ta certo o véio da Havan esquecer mesmo! Imagina vc ser roubado e ainda ficar lembrando ou ajudar financeiramente.
O relator dessa matéria não foi feliz em sitar que o ex sócio esquecido, não sentido. Parabéns para o sr Luciano Hang, famoso véio da Havan. O admiro!
Ja viu ex servir pra alguma coisa? O Luciano, se desdobrou e fez a marca dele crescer com muita dedicação e uma luta contínua, somando a isso muita estratégia no mercado de varejo.