Animal
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History

Sociedade Financeira de Investimentos e Gestões Açores – Finançor, S.A.

Finançor, S.A. was founded in 1954 by a group of industrialists with roots in São Miguel, led by Visconde Botelho, then absorbing the entire assets of the Sociedade de Moagem Micaelense, Lda.

The new company then underwent major factory renovations, increasing its working capacity and creating a new plant for the manufacture of animal compound feed, whose support to regional agriculture was fundamental to the growth that this important sector of the Azorean economy has known so far.

Following the 25th of April 1974, several labour conflicts, as well as lack of modernization in the various sectors of the company, led it to a very difficult economic and financial situation.

During 1976 a group of dairy products manufacturers together with some farmers (including Noviçor) jointly decided to acquire the majority of the shares that constituted the company’s equity. They soon realized that only with major investments in the various manufacturing sectors and with the introduction of new technologies, finally restoring the company completely, it would be possible to make it viable from an economic and financial point of view. Then, with its dynamism, the new administration was able to put back Finançor at the top of Azorean companies.

Thus, in 1980, they contracted, with the EFTA Fund for Portuguese Industrial Development, a loan that allowed them to remodel the wheat milling sector, providing it with a large capacity and automation, and the company was able to produce flours for baking and culinary uses, as well as, semolina for pasta, in a competitive way. Later, with the improvement of equity, thanks to good results and successive capital increases, it allowed the company to obtain financing from banks for the modernization of all other sectors, namely the Animal Compound Feed Mill, whose production capacity increased the initial capacity about ten times.

In 1996 Finançor became a founding shareholder of the company Investaçor, SGPS, SA, in order to compete for the privatization of BCA, having changed its strategy for the tourism sector, becoming in the following years the second hotel group in the Azores, with 4 hotel units – Hotel Faial, Hotel Angra, Hotel Pico (meanwhile closed in 2008) and the Royal Garden Hotel (open since 2004).

At the end of the 1990s, Finançor acquired from EPAC all its grains silos located next to its production units, which proved to be of fundamental strategic value for the regular supply of cereals at competitive prices. The biscuit manufacturing sector was also equipped with a completely new industrial unit in 1999. In 2002 Finançor implemented an Integrated Quality and Environment Management System under ISO 9001: 2000, as well as a Food Safety System ( HACCP) in the sectors: Manufacture of Animals Compound Feed, Wheat Milling, Biscuits and Pasta, obtaining the respective certification, by the certifying entity APCER in 2004.

Sociedade Açoriana de Sabões, Agraçor and Pondel

It started its activity in 1948, founded by Nicolau Sousa Lima, with a small installation for the manufacture of white and blue soap “offenbach”.

In 1951, a mechanical oil extraction factory was installed in order to produce industrial oil, necessary for the manufacture of soaps and edible vegetable oils for sale. In 1953, it installed a animal compound feed factory, with the purpose of using oilseed cake resulting from the extraction of oils.

In the 60s, 70s and 80s, it introduced new equipment, modernizing its activities, with emphasis on the construction of a new feed mill in 1974.

It was also in 1974 that Agraçor – Sociedade Agropecuária Açoreana, S.A. was formed, today Agraçor – Swine of the Azores, S.A., with Casa Bensaúde as its main shareholder. During 1980, the company was acquired by Sociedade Açoreana de Sabões. The company soon became a reference in the Azores and later at a national level, both for its size and productivity and for its innovation in the treatment of effluents, with the installation of a biogas unit.

In 1975, Pondel – Avícola de Ponta Delgada, Lda. Was founded by a group of partners linked to poultry farming. In the following years there were capital increases and quota transfers that culminated with the entry of Sociedade Açoreana de Sabões as main shareholder in 1988. The company has since then been engaged in the production of chickens and day-old chicks. In 2001, the Sociedade Açoreana de Sabões, implemented an Integrated Quality and Environment Management System according to ISO 9001: 2000, obtaining recognition by the certifying entity APCER in 2003.

In 2005, the oil extraction activity ended, due to the increasing difficulty in remaining competitive in this business area.

In 2007, the company was acquired by Finançor Agro-Alimentar, S.A. and incorporated into it, by merger in 2009.

The current configuration of the Group began to take shape in 2005, as part of a corporate and capital restructuring, which aimed to organize in group the various companies owned by Finançor and the companies that held the majority of the capital of Finançor Agro – Alimentar, the company C. Novais, Lda. sold its stake in Finançor and Finançor, SGPS, SA was formed, which became controlled by the initial partners of Noviçor, SA and their families.

In 2007, Grupo Finançor SGPS, SA, through Finançor Agro-Alimentar, SA acquired NSL – Nicolau Sousa Lima, Indústria, SGPS, SA, owner of Sociedade Açoreana de Sabões, SA, from Pondel – Avícola de Ponta Delgada, Lda. and Agraçor – Sociedade Agropecuária Açoreana, Lda., with the objective of creating dimension in the activity of Animals Compound Feed and in the production of poultry and pork meat.

The company was considered the 2nd best company in the Azores in 2006 (awarded in 2007), by the newspaper Açoriano Oriental and its President, José Manuel Almeida Braz, was distinguished with the Manager of the Year Award 2006 in the Azores, also in the same initiative where the biggest and best companies in the Azores are awarded. (100 Largest companies in the Azores)

During 2008, a new capital restructuring took place at the level of Finançor SGPS, S.A., which led to a reduction in the number of shareholders, with this company now being held by four shareholders (Leite Braz family).

In 2009, Finançor Agro – Alimentar, SA, incorporated NSL – Nicolau Sousa Lima, Indústria, SGPS, SA and Sociedade Açoreana de Sabões, SA by merger, having also acquired Salsiçor Group, through the acquisition of 100% of the capital of companies Salsiçor – Salsicharia dos Açores, SA, Alibomcomer – Comércio Alimentar, SA, Roque & Pavão – Indústria e Comércio Alimentar, SA, Salsicharia Mariense, Lda. and 75% of the capital of Salsicharia Pavão, SA. With this acquisition, Finançor strengthened its position in the pork and beef processing market, also extended its capacity to distribute food products in the Azores, due to the geographical dispersion of the acquired companies, as they are present in Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Faial , Pico, São Jorge and Graciosa. However, in 2010, it also restructured the Salsiçor Group, through the merger of several companies.

In 2012, following an acquisition aimed at total dominance, Finançor SGPS, SA started to control 100% of the capital of Finançor Agro-Alimentar, SA, also this year Finançor Agro-Alimentar, saw its social responsibility policy recognized be awarded the Social Responsibility Prize by the newspaper Açoriano Oriental in the scope of the magazine of the 100 Largest companies in the Azores.

The year 2013 will be marked in the company’s history, as Finançor Agro-Alimentar, SA was the winner of the 2013 Agriculture Award in the Large Companies category, in a joint initiative by Banco BPI and the Cofina group (Correio da Manhã and Jornal de Negócios ), sponsored by the Portuguese Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and supported by PwC. This distinction at the national level was the highest recognition ever achieved by the company. It should be noted that the prize was awarded to the consolidated of Finançor Agro-Alimentar, S.A. with all its subsidiaries.

In terms of recognition, the year was also marked by the award, for the second consecutive year, of the Social Responsibility Award in the Azores, on the occasion of the aforementioned initiative of the newspaper Açoriano Oriental.

In 2014, as a result of the increased competitiveness of the group and the increasingly difficult competition, the Aviário da Ribeira Grande was acquired, allowing a considerable increase in the production and sale of eggs.

The year 2015 was marked by the acquisition of the company Provipor, which in its assets held the second largest pig farm in the Azores and a small manufacturing feed unit, which allowed the company to strengthen its leadership in both sectors covered – pig and feed. On October 27, 2015, the “Nako – Talho & Take Away” venture was inaugurated. This project, in which the Finançor Group participates as an associated company through Salsiçor – Salsicharia dos Açores, S.A., was a great challenge, being the company’s first food retail experience and an innovative concept in São Miguel and the Azores. Also worthy of note is the attribution of the Manager Award of the Year 2014 to the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, José Romão Leite Braz, within the scope of the aforementioned initiative of the newspaper AO (100 Largest Companies).

In 2016, the main highlight was the acquisition of control of Investaçor SGPS, S.A. and its subsidiaries, 20 years after the company’s founding and the arrival of Finançor as a small shareholder. Finançor SGPS now holds 86.6% of Investaçor SGPS’s share capital, thus assuming a presence in the tourism sector, which should be one of the strategic areas of the Azores, along with agriculture and agro-industry. In November 2016, the hotel brand Azoris Hotels & Leisure was launched, the name of the hotel companies was changed, based on the name Azoris and the name Investaçor disappeared.

In October 2018 MegaSabor was acquired and integrated in the company Nako Açores, S.A., with two establishments for sale to the public in Ponta Delgada, with bakery and pastry activities and where meals are also available. MegaSabor currently has its production unit on the premises of the Ponta Delgada Industrial Complex of Finançor Agro-Alimentar, SA.

In July 2020, the Finançor Group takes a historic step with the entry into the Food Distribution business, with the acquisition of 100% of Marques Comércio a Retalho, SA, owner of the business and the 12 Solmar stores in the Azores – São Miguel (10 ), Pico (1) and Santa Maria (1), and Marques Comércio por Grosso, SA, holder of a cash & carry with the brand Recheio Cash & Carry. The partnership with the Jerónimo Martins Group contributed decisively to this acquisition, which will enable the development of the business through an ambitious project to recover and invest in the current store network, allowing Azorean consumers an alternative with a differentiating offer in price and quality and that will be an asset for the Azorean economy as a whole.

Thus, the Finançor Group, through Finançor, SGPS, S.A., owns or controls the following companies:

Finançor Agro-Alimentar, S.A. which operates in the compound feed markets for
animals, wheat flour, raw materials and cereals, biscuits, pasta;
Noviçor – Novilhos dos Açores, S.A. which is dedicated to the production of beef meat;
Agraçor – Suínos dos Açoores, S.A. which operates in the pork meat production market;
Provipor – Produção de Alimentos para Animais, Lda., which operates in the pork meat production market;
Altiprado – Empresa Agrícola da Achada das Furnas, S.A. which is dedicated to the production of milk (dairy cows);
Granpon – Granja Avícola de Ponta Delgada, Lda. and Pondel – Avícola de Ponta Delgada, Lda. Which operate in the markets of day-old chicks, chicken meat production and egg production;
Avigex – Sociedade de Empreendimentos Avícolas e de Frio,Lda. operates in the chicken meat processing and commercialization of fresh and frozen food products;
Salsiçor – Salsicharia dos Açores, S.A. and Salsiçor Terceira, S.A., which operate in the meat processing (pork, beef and chicken) and the commercialization of fresh and frozen food products;
Azoris, SGPS, SA, which owns Azoris Hotels SA, which operates the hotel units, Azoris Royal Garden, Azoris Faial Garden and Azoris Angra Garden;
Finançor Distribuição Alimentar, which operates in the retail food distribution market through the Solmar brand;
Finançor Cash & Carry which operates in the wholesale food distribution market through the Recheio Cash & Carry brand

The Finançor Group also holds minority interests, with a presence in the
board of the following companies:

Nako Açores, S.A. owner of the Nako – Talho & Take-Away establishment, in a new concept in the Azores, which includes a butcherery and delicatessen, take-away with drive-thru and fresh and frozen foods store; also holds Megasabor, which operates in the bakery and pastry and where meals are also available.
Bovimadeira – Exploração de Bovinos da Madeira, Lda. Which operates in the
production of beef cattle on the Madeira island;
Aquazor – Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnologies of the Azores, S.A, company that was set up to invest in offshore aquaculture in the Azores – R&D;
TNA – Tecnologia e Nutrição Animal, S.A., headquartered in mainland Portugal, manufacturer of pre-mixes and additives which, in addition to being a supplier, also provides technical field assistance.



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Este website utiliza cookies que facilita a navegação, o registo e recolha de dados estatísticos. Ao prosseguir a navegação com cookies ativos está a consentir a sua utilização. A informação armazenada nos cookies é utilizada exclusivamente pelo Grupo Finançor.

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