Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo is awarded the international Best of Wine Tourism Award 2010, in the Innovative Wine Experience category. It has previously received three distinctions in these same awards; Art and Culture in 2009, attributed to its wine tourism project in Pinhão railway station; Architecture, Parks and Gardens, in 2008; and Accommodation in 2007.
Américo Amorim is awarded the medal of Grand Officer of the Order of Bernando O'Higgins from the President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, in recognition of the relevant contribution, both personally and through the Amorim Group companies, to reinforcement of the cultural and economic relations between Portugal and Chile.
St. John’s University (New York) awards Américo Amorim an honorary doctorate in Commercial Science, stating that it thereby “pays tribute to a businessman who has lived in a truly remarkable manner. A successful businessman, he transformed a small cork factory, founded by his grandfather in 1870 - the same year that St. John’s University was built - into the world's biggest cork producer. Under his leadership, the Amorim Group has expanded its operations to other investment areas, including real estate, finance, tourism, energy and infrastructure”.
The Amorim Group sets up Amorim Global Investors, the sub-holding for a new area of private equity, dedicated to implementation and management of investment opportunities in companies that have a strong track record in terms of profitability, leaders in their business sector and endowed with a solid management team and recognised professional merits.
Américo Ferreira de Amorim is awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, in recognition of his relevant services to Portugal, at home and abroad.
Américo Amorim receives the title of Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Hungary in Portugal in recognition of his distinguished work in favour of fostering strong relations between the two countries, in particular after 1990, when he became the country’s Honorary Consul in Portugal.
The Amorim Group establishes the Museu do Fundador - Cork and the Amorim Family, in the emblematic building that housed the family’s first business premises, in Santa Maria de Lamas. It is a meeting point and a crossroads between the history of cork and the history of the Amorim Family in its entrepreneurial journey.
Reorganisation of the Amorim Group's business portfolio, through sale of two business areas - Real Estate and Tourism. The group refocuses its interests on CORTICEIRA AMORIM, SGPS, SA, AMORIM DESENVOLVIMENTO, SGPS, SA, and also on analysis and monitoring of new business opportunities.
The sub-holding Natureza, SGPS, SA sells Burmester and Gilberts, and focuses on an innovative project in the wine tourism sector - the Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo Rural Hotel – Portugal’s first wine hotel, and continues to invest in the brands Quinta Nova (wine) and Casa do Porco Preto.
As part of its strategy to expand its shopping centres, Amorim Imobiliária acquires the real estate consulting company, Larry Smith, from Spain, which specialises in retail activities, and as a result is responsible for managing and commercialising twenty shopping centres, with a total of 750,000 m2 of gross leasable area. Of these shopping centres, fourteen are located in Spain (500,000 m2) and six in Portugal (250,000 m2).
Amorim Imobiliária and ING Real Estate Development Ibérica establish a joint venture for the development of Portugal’s biggest shopping centre, Dolce Vita Tejo.
Amorim Imobiliária and the Auchan Group establish a partnership to develop and promote a commercial space in Amadora, to be implanted in a total area of 400,000 m2 with 192,000 m2 of construction, which is the largest commercial space in the Greater Lisbon area, assuming structural importance for the municipality of Amadora.
Presentation of the City of Arrábida, a project by Amorim Imobiliária, which includes the Studio Residence Arrábida, the private condominium Arrábida Plazza and the Arrábida office centre.
Launched about 10 years ago and resulting from a global investment of 240 million euros, the City of Arrábida also includes Arrábida Shopping, a private hospital and two hotels, among other facilities that, as a whole, create around 2500 jobs.
Amorim Imobiliária and Somague Imobiliária invest in the Espaço Belém, in partnership with the football club, Os Belenenses. This real estate project combines commercial and residential spaces and services, in an area of 33,000 m2, whose construction begins in 2005.
Amorim Imobiliária opens Dolce Vita Douro, the first large-scale shopping centre in the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro region.
Opening of the Dolce Vita Douro, a shopping centre with a new philosophy – with a bold architecture, modern and unique features, planned with the well-being of its visitors in mind. It is called Dolce Vita because it conveys animation, fun, pleasure and passion. The same concept is subsequently applied to all of Amorim Imobiliária’s shopping centres.
Amorim Imobiliária and ING Real Estate Development Iberia, the world’s third largest company in the real estate sector, sign an agreement to develop the largest shopping centre ever built in Portugal (Amadora), as part of a real estate project that also includes an important residential and industrial area.
Amorim Imobiliária begins the restoration and reconversion works of the Convento dos Inglesinhos, an emblematic 17th century building in Lisbon.
The Amorim Group and the Sonae Group sign a cooperation agreement within the framework of the tourist development in Tróia, encompassing a total area of 440 hectares, which includes the recovery, refurbishment and completion of existing infrastructure and structures, demolition of structures that are not suited to the new high-quality urban requirements, and the construction of new tourist complexes, including 5-star hotels, a congress centre, sports harbour, water recreational park, sports and equestrian centres, an environmental centre for monitoring the environmental system, and execution of works of protection and enhancement of the Roman ruins of Tróia.
Amorim Imobiliária, SGPS, S.A. presents the Dolce Vita shopping centres, projects to be developed in Porto, Vila Real and Coimbra, in an investment worth more than 270 million euros, a strong bet in the retail business area.
Presentation of the Vilamoura real estate/tourism project, between the Marina and the Praia da Falésia, in a total land area of 105,000 m2. The project includes a Sofitel Resort Hotel (202 rooms) and a residential condominium (95 apartments) and is developed by Amorim Turismo and Amorim Imobiliária, reflecting an innovative and excellent vision of the hotel and leisure sector in Portugal.
This real estate development, of recognised international prestige, is developed in a total area of 1600 hectares and has important infrastructures, including a marina for 1000 boats and four golf courses, which permit diversification of the leisure services offered.
Amorim Imobiliária secures the international tender for the construction of Eurostadium, in Coimbra, a real-estate complex that includes a shopping centre (28,000 m2), a multipurpose pavilion, a facility with Olympic swimming pools, a housing development and the Cidade de Coimbra Football Stadium. Construction began in 2003.
Natureza, SGPS, S.A. acquires the company Barrancarnes - Transformacao Artesanal, S.A., the owner of the prestigious brand, Casa do Porco Preto, which it uses to produce and commercialise cured ham of protected designation of origin (PDO) and also traditional sausages. It thereby adds another genuinely Portuguese product to its existing portfolio of wines. The company has clear objectives: to preserve centuries-old history and traditions, develop the potential of Portugal’s demarcated regions; create value for the land as a precious asset; and create businesses driven by passion, patience and persistence.
Amorim Imobiliária promotes a housing project in the Quinta da Pícua (Maia), solely consisting of private condominiums.
The Grupo Amorim and Grupo ECOP, with the Futebol Clube do Porto, formalise the ANTAS project, an ambitious real estate development project, encompassing a residential area of 50,000 m2 and a commercial area of 190,000 m2, an office complex and a 4-star hotel, in a global investment of €300 million.
Amorim Imobiliária launches a real estate development in Praça de Espanha (Lisbon), with 30,000 m2 and offices.
Incorporation of Amorim.com, SGPS, S.A., a sub-holding aimed at concentrating the group’s investments in new technologies, which acquires stakes in Ski Station, Finte and WebLab, thereby opening the doors to the New Economy.
Formation of Amorim & Ceoser, a corporate holding company owned in equal proportions by the Amorim Group and Corporatión Empresarial ONCE, dedicated to the provision of services in several areas - such as integrated security, building maintenance, temporary work and personnel selection and training.
Acquisition of a qualified shareholding in Estoril-Sol, SGPS, S.A. with the objective of increasing the group’s investments in an important leisure area - casinos.
Following negotiations with the State, to create a competitive operator in the Portuguese energy sector, GALP - Petróleo e Gás de Portugal, SGPS, SA is set up in 1999, which groups the holdings of the two companies Petróleos de Portugal - Petrogal, SA and GDP - Gás de Portugal, SGPS, SA. The next step was to form national and international strategic alliances that enabled GALP to position itself more effectively in the international markets. In this context, in the year 2000 several private shareholders, including the Amorim Group, accepted the proposal to sell their shareholdings in GALP to ENI and to EDP.