Incorporation of the sub-holding Natureza, SGPS, S.A., that aggregates the existing investments in genuinely Portuguese natural products that offer very high quality. It adds the Port wine brands - Burmester, Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo and Gilberts to its portfolio of assets.
Joint Venture between Gierlings Velpor - Veludo Português, S.A. and the German group AUNDE, that specialises in the development of velvet fabrics for automotive upholstery, leading to the creation of Aunde Velpor, S.A.
Incorporation of Amorim Broking, SGPS, S.A. - a sub-holding of the Amorim Group for the insurance area - and incorporation of the company Unibroker Mozambique, created with local partners.
Acquisition of the tourist resort Vilalara (Algarve), which has a total area of 100,000 m2, offering complete privacy, including a small bay and beach on the Algarve coast. An exclusive environment, with total tranquility and 5-star facilities, internationally recognised as one of the finest resorts in Europe and the World.
Amorim Imobiliária launches two innovative residential products: Highgrove – Residential Clubs, in conjunction with the Caixa Geral de Depósitos Group, aimed at senior citizens, by fostering autonomy and high standards of living; and Studio Residences, aimed at university students, professionals and displaced workers. The latter venture is established through a collaboration protocol with the BCP Group. In 2003, a partnership with the Spanish group Realia Business, extends the concept of the Studio Residences to the Iberian market.
Amorim Imobiliária, through its subsidiary, Imolisboa - Projectos Imobiliários, S.A., establishes a joint venture with Renta Imobiliária, an investment company owned by GE Capital Real Estate.
The Amorim Group, through Amorim Imobiliária, acquires the stake previously held by ISM in INOGI, and now owns 100% of the company's share capital.
INOGI invests in large-scale, high-quality real estate projects in the greater Lisbon area, such as the Teatro Éden (remodelled and adapted into an aparthotel, with 10 700 m2 of intervention area), Torres de Lisboa (business centre, housing some of the leading national and international companies), the Nova Campolide and Entrecampos 28 real-estate complexes and Sintra Business Park.
Acquisition of 40% of Wood-Interbrok - Corretores de Seguros, Ltda., the largest independent insurance broker in Brazil.
Creation of the company Aunde Velpor, SA, a partnership between Gierlings Velpor (Amorim Group) and the German company Aunde (Aunde-ISRI Group), to create an industrial unit that specialises in the production of upholstery for public transport - in particular trains and buses. The new industrial unit is formally opened in 1999 and immediately signs a supply contract with the multinational ALSTON.
A new corporate image for the Amorim Group. The new Amorim logo incorporates a stylised tree with the name Amorim, symboliaing the Group's principles: environmental harmony, natural strength and confidence in growth, unity and diversity. This is an important step in strengthening Amorim's identity and culture, internally and externally.
Public presentation of the closed condominium, Arrábida Place (Vila Nova de Gaia, next to the Douro river), consisting of two buildings in a vast and privileged green area.
Amorim - Empreendimentos Imobiliários, a sub-holding of the Amorim Group for the real estate sector, acquires various real estate assets associated to the Sintra Business Park project, including an investment in the Greater Lisbon area and a real estate development project (warehouses and offices) with a construction area of approximately 52,000 m2 above ground. Subsequently, INOGI (a company operating in the real estate market) assumes the global management of the Sintra Business Park project.
The Amorim Group and ACCOR Group reinforce their alliance for the hotel sector, concentrating all their shareholdings in a common holding company - Amorim Hotéis e Serviços, SA, which encompasses all the existing hotel assets in Portugal (more than 4000 beds), hitherto held by the two groups. They also set up a new management company, Coralie, responsible for these hotel units, with the exclusive right to use and explore the brands, Novotel, Ibis, Formule 1 and Sofitel.
Completion of the real estate project, S. João Bosco, located in the centre of Porto, comprising a residential condominium, support infrastructures and a commercial area, with a total construction area of 62,000 m2.
Opening of Arrábida Shopping in Vila Nova de Gaia – construction area of 77,000 m2, with 176 stores, a hypermarket and a 20-screen multiplex. The first of a series of large-scale shopping centres, which consolidated themselves in Portugal as authentic centres of culture and leisure.
A consortium led by BNC, and solely formed by Amorim Group companies, competes in the reprivatisation process of Banco de Fomento e Exterior, aiming to further the Group's strategy to re-establish a leading position in the banking sector. The reprivatisation process is decided in favour of another competitor, but the highly arbitrary decision is widely contested.
In November, within the framework of one of the most relevant and successful initial public offerings (IPO) of a private corporation, the Amorim Group decides to sell part of its stake in Telecel. In 1997, it sold the remainder. These operations generate significant financial gains for the Group and offer a solid basis for new business ventures.
Imobis - Empreendimentos Imobiliários Amorim, SA presents the project, Paço da Boa Hora (Leça da Palmeira), a consortium with BCM to build a luxurious and exclusive private condominium – with about 12 000 m2 of construction, in a total area of more than 50,000 m2.
The Amorim Group joins Finpetro - a consortium of investors that is set up to acquire Petrogal - Petróleos de Portugal – in the context of its privatisation process. In the following year, under the new management team, Petrogal reverses the trajectory of losses which had been traced for several years, and obtains a positive net result.
Merger between Velpor - Veludo Português, S.A. and the German company Gierlings, to create Gierlings Velpor - Veludo Português, S.A., Europe’s second biggest producer of velvets and artificial furs.
Imobis - Empreendimentos Imobiliários Amorim, S.A. launches a housing and commercial real estate venture in the Foz do Douro, Porto. This means that after developing projects in Coimbra, Évora and Setúbal, Porto now receives a high-quality real estate project, Vila Mar, with more than 11,500 m2 of construction above ground.
Imoloc - Investimento Imobiliário, S.A. promotes construction of the real estate complex, Edifício do Lago (Porto) that includes offices, commerce and housing, with a total construction area of 36,000 m2.
LS - Sociedade de Construções. Lda. - a partnership between the Amorim Group and the Swedish group, Bullfighter - begins the restoration and real estate development of several of the most iconic buildings in the centre of Lisbon.
Incorporation of Heath & Amorim - a joint venture between the Amorim Group and C.E. Heath, one of the world’s leading insurance and reinsurance brokerage firm. Heath & Amorim is subsequently acquired by SMS - Corretores de Seguros (whose name was changed in 1998 to Unibroker - Corretores de Seguros, S.A.).
Indústria Têxtil do Ave, S.A. inaugurates a new high performance production unit, providing textile solutions for the rubber industry.
Creation of a joint venture between Velpor and the German firm. V. Gierlings, for the development of production in Portugal and greater penetration of European markets, enabling the textile portfolio to be expanded to more technological and sustainable solutions, for sectors such as transport, decoration and clothing.
Imobis - Empreendimentos Imobiliários, S.A. launches the real estate venture, Edições Topázio, in Coimbra (with 7000 m2 above ground and 3000 m2 below ground).
Presentation of the real estate venture, Capitólio (in Porto) - a modern business, commercial and residential centre in one of the new central zones of the city of Porto.
Sociedade Figueira Praia creates a joint venture with Perfect Nº 1, Primeiro Fundo Imobiliário Europeu, and with the Stilo Group to develop a real-estate project in Entrecampos, Lisbon, with a construction area of over 12,000 m2 above ground, involving an estimated total investment of PTE 6500 billion (€32 million).
Infologia establishes a partnership with the French company, Sybel, which enables it to expand its portfolio of products and solutions and thereby expand its market beyond the SMEs where it is already well established. The company enjoys remarkable success over the ensuing years culminating in its sale in 1999 to the French division of the SAGE Group:
The Amorim Group is a member of the winning consortium for the creation of the first private mobile telecommunications operator in Portugal - Telecel. The first phase of the digital network is subsequently planned, built and put into operation, in record time. Within only 12 months, it already covers a broad range of the Portuguese population (>80%) and territory (>57%).
Américo Amorim leads the creation of a new bank, BNC - Banco Nacional de Crédito Imobiliário, S.A., that is dedicated to providing real estate credit, formally constituted on July 2.
The Amorim Group and Américo Amorim begin to cut their ties with BCP, which culminates in 1996 with Américo Amorim resigning as Chairman of the bank’s Superior Council, a position that he had held for ten years.
Creation of a specific sub-holding for real estate operations - Amorim Empreendimentos Imobiliários, SGPS, SA, which includes important projects in its portfolio, such as the innovative office park, Torres de Lisboa, the recovery of the Teatro Éden, the residential complex Nova Campolide, Sintra Business Park, among many others.
Acquisition of a stake in Imoloc, SGPS, S.A., a holding company of real estate and financial investments. Its main real estate venture is located in a prime area of Porto, involving a total investment of PTE 7,5 billion (EUR 37,5 million).
Imofoz - Investimentos Imobiliários launches the real estate project, Edifício Portugal (in Figueira da Foz), a multi-purpose building (carpar, health club, shopping centre and residential area), with a total area of 18,500 m2, promoted by Sociedade Figueira Praia.
Creation of the sub-holding, Amorim Hotéis e Serviços, SGPS, S.A. a holding company for the partnership between Amorim and Accor and also the Group's holdings in Lusoreste and Sociedade Figueira Praia, S.A.
Veldec acquires 80% of Velpor, as part of a commitment to diversify markets and enter the automotive sector.