Grupo Nelson QuintasGrupo Nelson Quintas

The Founder

Nelson Quintas, born in Póvoa de Varzim on November 16, 1924, started his professional activity in 1940 at a very young age, just 16 years old, in the small rope industry belonging to his father, Francisco Quintas, founder of “Quintas & Quintas”, a company that Nelson came to lead for 50 years.Nelson Quintas helped develop the company in new areas, such as the plastics, aluminium, and steel industry. He invested in new markets for the consolidation and expansion of the family business in Spain, Angola, Mozambique, Argentina, and Brazil.
In 1972, the “Quintas & Quintas” factory received the Gold Mercury International Award for its contribution to the development of the European economy, as it was already a market leader at the national level. Nelson Quintas’ leadership at Quintas & Quintas has always been highly regarded in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation, both nationally and internationally, having received the “Caravela Portuguesa” trophy in 1980.

He has chaired numerous companies in different areas of activity – rope manufacture, steel cables, electrical conductors, telephone cables, cables for the automobile sector, fiber optics, metalworking, plastic packaging films, and telecommunications. He was the forerunner in the distribution of Natural Gas in Portugal, through Portgás and Setgás, and the largest plant in the north of the country for natural gas combined cycle, for the production of Electricity (900Mw), in Tapada do Outeiro in Gondomar.

On May 9, 1991, he was decorated by the President, Mr. Mário Soares, with the Order of Merit in Industry, just like his father, Francisco Quintas, had been in 1967.

In 1995, he left the Quintas & Quintas Group, where he was Chairman of the Board of Directors, and set up his own business group – Grupo Nelson Quintas, focused on the activities of manufacture of electric cables, telephone cables, fiber optic cables, bioriented films, real estate, natural gas distribution in Portugal and telecommunications in Brazil.

Nelson Quintas was one of the great Portuguese entrepreneurs of the twentieth century; entrepreneurial, dynamic, visionary; a creator of value and wealth for the country. Throughout his life, Nelson Quintas held several highly regarded positions:

  • Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company Quintas & Quintas, S. A.;
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cabelte – Cabos Elétricos e Telefónicos S.A. and Solidal – Condutores Elétricos, S.A.;
  • Founder of Fibope – Filmes Biorientados, Lda.;
  • Chairman of the Audit Committee of Banco Totta & Açores;
  • Director of Banco Totta & Açores;
  • VVice-Chairman of the General Council of Sopete – Sociedade Poveira de Empreendimentos Turísticos, S.A.;
  • Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Portugal-Africa Association;
  • Member of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Business Association (AEP).;
  • Chairman of the General Meeting of Enagás;
  • Chairman of the General Assembly of the “Portuguese Association of Family Businesses”;
  • Member of the Board of Representatives of Global e Global Vida – Companhia de Seguros, S.A.;
  • Member of the International Scientific Council.

Catholic, generous, philanthropic, attentive to his social responsibility, he always collaborated with various social solidarity institutions of Póvoa de Varzim, Fire Brigade Associations, and Sports Clubs. He was the founder of Estela Golf Club in 1987. In 2011, the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim paid Posthumous Homage to Decorated Entrepreneur Nelson Quintas, for his contribution to the economic development of the municipality, giving his name to Rua Comendador Nelson Quintas.

With the death of Nelson Quintas on January 6, 2001, the Group he created was then controlled by his son, Jorge Nelson Quintas, and his son-in-law Adalberto Neiva de Oliveira, in equal parts. In 2007, the family businesses split up.

Jorge Nelson Quintas becomes CEO of the Nelson Quintas Group, and now holds 100 percent of the Group. He alienated the business areas related to the production of Cables, Natural Gas, and Telecommunications, and reinforced investments in Real Estate, Insurance, Industry, Hospitality and Leisure.

THE ORIGINS:
 

Francisco Alves Quintas started his professional activity as a worker in a small rope industry, located in Póvoa de Varzim. In addition to the manufacture of ropes and contact with the potential of this small industry, he identified opportunities for their development, not only because of the increased demand that the ropes had for fishing nets and mooring boats, but, above all, because of the surrounding fishing environment. In 1925, he set up his first rope manufacture, still with a manual wheel. He persuaded his father to be his partner, giving him command of the company, thereby creating the “Fábrica Elétrica de Cordoaria de Quintas & Quintas” (Electrical Factory of Cordoaria de Quintas & Quintas).
His father died just a year after the company was set up, but Francisco Quintas did not give up the small industry he had created and continued to develop it. At that time, the mother divided the father’s inheritance between her two sons, Francisco and José.
In 1927, the first machine was installed and, in 1937, the conversion of its industry with modern equipment began. The factory grew, taking up a considerable area on Rua Gomes de Amorim, in Póvoa de Varzim.

In 1940, the manufacture of steel cables began, moving on to aluminum cables, synthetic wires and cables. At this point, Francisco Quintas bought his brother José’s share of the company and his son, Nelson Quintas, becomes his right-hand man, aged only 18.
Francisco Quintas was a very active, entrepreneurial, and dynamic industrialist; a creator and distributor of wealth and prosperity to all his employees and workers. He devoted his long life exclusively to work. Entrepreneurial and generous, he extended his good deed to all his assistants and subordinates, also devoting time to various institutions in Póvoa de Varzim, especially charities and philanthropy.
On December 15, 1967, at the proposal of the Ministry of Economy, Francisco Alves Quintas was decorated by the then President, America Tomás, with the Order of Agricultural and Industrial Merit, insignia that were imposed on him at the solemn session of the inauguration of the facilities of the Social Quarter “Quintas & Quintas”, built to house most of the workers of their factories and their families.
On January 27, 1980, Francisco Alves Quintas, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Quintas & Quintas, died, and Nelson Quintas became the leader of the Quintas & Quintas Group.
Nelson Quintas managed the family businesses for 50 years, until he created his own Group in 1995 – Grupo Nelson Quintas (Nelson Quintas Group).

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