The First Step to the Future

Driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, on February 8, 1919, José Alves de Amorim, Manuel Gonçalves Lage and Aníbal Augusto Soares founded Amorim, Lage & Soares, Lda. From 1931, the company was owned equally by the Amorim and Lage families, with the departure of Aníbal Augusto Soares. We took the first steps towards what would become a successful industrial group in the milling and pasta industries. José Alves de Amorim and Manuel Gonçalves Lage then discovered the secret of the business.

A partnership based on a perfect communion of values and ethics based on a spirit of initiative, focused on innovation, quality and the ability to anticipate market trends and needs. In Águas Santas, in Maia, a business vision was born, based on a dynamic spirit, guided by good practices and a sense of winning on the part of the founders that was passed on to the generations that followed them.

Launch of Milaneza Pasta

The innovative and daring spirit of our founders and the success achieved so far led us to develop other industrial activities, and the pasta factory was inaugurated, equipped with the most modern machinery and technology of the time. This is how our Milaneza pasta products came onto the market, quickly making a name for themselves due to their quality.

Respect for tradition and quality has always been a constant in our history, always guaranteed by our permanent ability to keep up with market developments, in a process of continuous renewal and technological improvement.

New Paradense Wheat Mill

The post-war period saw the relaunch of new projects that were needed because of the hiatus in investment caused by the Second World War. Thus, Amorim, Lage, Lda. We have resumed the investment dynamic, updating and expanding the two Águas Santas plants. We built a new mill and the first battery of wheat silos and, in this building, we installed the first Portuguese mill with pneumatic conveying of products.

It was in this year that the 1919 mill ceased operations, thus ending one of the first periods of Amorim, Lage, Lda. Also during this period, Moagem do Minho, Lda. was transferred to Parada – Águas Santas. in Guimarães, with its equipment installed in a building adjacent to the new mill. As for the mass factory, the end of World War II also had enormous consequences. It was at this time that the Milaneza pasta factory received its first continuous pasta presses, as well as new dryers with the most modern and efficient drying diagrams.

The First Portuguese Semolaria

In order to consolidate the rising position of Milaneza pasta in the domestic market, we decided to invest in the first Portuguese durum wheat semolina factory, which opened on July 28, 1962.

This new milling plant, which specializes in the production of durum wheat semolina, has ensured a regular supply of high-quality raw materials for pasta production. This initiative allowed us to have a differentiating element of quality compared to the competition, a differentiation that we have managed to maintain over the years.

50th Anniversary of Amorim, Lage, LDA

50 years of history for a company that has become the largest Portuguese milling group. The anniversary was intensely celebrated at a party attended by members, employees and their families.

80s Project: Preparing the Company for the Battle to Join the European Economic Community

At the beginning of the 1980s, aware of the profound changes that were to come with Portugal’s accession to the then European Economic Community (EEC), we drew on our knowledge and technical capacity in order to respond to the new challenges and opportunities. So we began a mega operation of technological renovation and modernization.

The entire industrial park in Maia has undergone total renovation of its industrial infrastructure and the assembly of the latest pasta production lines. The “80s” project enabled us to withstand the impact of the opening of borders during the first two years of accession. After this period, the market slowly stabilized with Milaneza pasta strengthening its position.

The Start of a New Cycle

As part of a Public Sale Offer, we acquired Companhia Industrial de Transformação de Cereais e Derivados, S.A., owner of the Nacional brand. With this acquisition, we have gained a new dimension, becoming the largest Portuguese Group in the Agri-Food sector and the largest Portuguese Group in the area of cereal milling and pasta manufacturing.

This investment doubled our turnover and allowed us to enter market segments where we were not yet present. With 160 years of history, the Nacional brand is now part of the Group’s development strategy, thus ensuring the maintenance of one of the oldest and most emblematic brands in our country. A new dimension that has led to the development of a long-term strategic investment plan, with the relocation and construction of new industrial units, in order to increase the competitiveness of the Cerealis Group. A strategic plan that is now completing its first phase of implementation, and which has so far represented an investment of more than 100 million euros.

The New Cerealis Identity

It was necessary to reorganize and simplify the Group’s shareholding structure. As a result, we reorganized our shareholding structure, bringing together all the companies of the former Amorim Group, Lage, under the new name Cerealis. This reorganization resulted in the companies Cerealis SGPS, S.A. (holding company), Cerealis Produtos Alimentares – S.A. (business division for all products intended for the end consumer), Cerealis Moagens – S.A. (business division for products for industrial use) and Cerealis Internacional – Comércio de Cereais e Derivados, S. A. (division responsible for importing cereals, raw materials for the manufacture of all the Group’s products and exporting finished products). A. (division responsible for importing cereals, raw materials for the manufacture of all the Group’s products and exporting finished products) and Sociedade Imobiliária Paradense (dedicated to making a profit from real estate assets not used in industry). Having inherited a unique heritage, Amorim, Lage, S.A., and with a new identity now as Cerealis, we have prepared ourselves to take on new challenges in new products and new markets. The new name represents the unity, internationalization, dynamism and solidity of one of Portugal’s largest agri-food groups.

Inauguration of the Moagem em Lisboa

On March 6, the Lisbon Mill was officially inaugurated in the presence of the President of the Republic, Professor Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the Minister of Economy and Employment, Dr. Álvaro Santos Pereira, the Deputy Mayor of Lisbon, Arch. Manuel Salgado.

This event was an important milestone in making us known as one of Portugal’s largest industrial and commercial groups in the agro-industrial sector, giving visibility to the Group’s size, its economic strength and its ambition for growth not only in Portugal, but also in exports.

Cerealis celebrates its centenary!

We would like to thank the loyalty of our customers, based on trust and partnerships that have translated into support for our brands, which have been the cornerstone of our success and growth, of which we are very proud. The support of the banking sector has been, and continues to be, decisive for the path we have taken, and has always matched our investment programs on this 100-year journey. We would like to thank our bankers for their trust and support. To the official supervisory and control bodies, to all the governments and city councils, allowing me to single out Maia City Council, our thanks for the attention always paid to our problems and initiatives.

A reference to our shareholders and our 700 or so employees. The company’s board of directors is currently represented by members of the 3rd generation, with the subscriber being the only member of the 2nd generation still in office. Shareholder support has been a fundamental pillar of Cerealis’ sustainability. To the several generations of employees who have been responsible for maintaining the company’s level of success, and whom I have had the privilege of coordinating and accompanying, I would like to thank you for your commitment and dedication to our company.
Cerealis is turning 100 years old with an enviable material and human heritage, the guarantee of a youth full of experience that allows us to look forward to many years of success in the years to come.
José Eduardo Marques de Amorim Chairman of the Board of Directors

Moreria da Silva e Silva Domingues Family
They buy 100% of the Cerealis Group.

The acquisition of Cerealis was carried out by the investment companies of the new shareholders TEAK Capital, B.V. and TANGOR Capital, S.A.

Acquisition of a controlling stake in Europasta

In March 2023, Europasta, a Czech pasta specialist, will be fully consolidated in Cerealis’ accounts.