Cerealis
Encyclopedia
Cerealis is a Portuguese
food producer and the biggest milling company in Portugal, headquartered in Maia
, and founded in 1919 as a cereal
processing company. Cerealis Group has two divisions, food producer Cerealis Produtos Alimentares and miller
Cerealis Moagens which produce and commercialise a range of products including pasta, biscuits, cornflakes as well as providing milled wheat flour and rye flour to the food manufacturing sector. Cerealis Group is a privately owned company and owns the Portuguese well-known brands Milaneza and Nacional. The company's exporting branch, Cerealis Internacional, exports the groups's products, and has its main clients in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cuba, South Africa, and Libya. In 2007, about 200,000,000 euros of products were exported by Cerealis.
for bakeries
. Spurred on by their initial success, the founders started diversifying. In 1933, they inaugurated a modern manufacturing plant to produce pasta
s, launching them on the market with the Milaneza brand name. Milaneza become the leading Pasta-maker on the Portuguese market, being the first one of its kind to be certified. The Grupo Amorim Lage ("Amorim Lage Group") become one of the largest Iberian
companies in the sector and the oldest in continuous operation in Portugal. In order to certify the quality of its products and manufacturing process, Milaneza is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, with NP EN ISO 9002 certification and certified HACCP systems.
Operating in a large number of markets, including the European Union
, Portuguese-speaking African countries, the United States
, and Canada
, exports account for over 25% of the company's business turnover; the company continued to expand in the 2000s. In 2005, the Grupo Amorim Lage, affiliated with the Associação Empresarial de Portugal
since 1930, with its subsidiaries Milaneza, Nacional, and Harmonia, was renamed and organized into a new company, Cerealis, SGPS, S.A.
, Cerealis Produtos Alimentares, S.A. In 2006, three companies (Spain
's Ebro Puleva
and Grupo Gallo and Italy
's Barilla S.p.A.) all rumoured to be interested in sealing a deal to acquire Portugal's leading pasta maker Cerealis. The proposed sale, according to Dow Jones, was worth over €
100 million ($
121.12 million) but Cerealis management team refused the offers.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
food producer and the biggest milling company in Portugal, headquartered in Maia
Maia, Portugal
Maia Municipality is located in the Porto Metropolitan Area, Grande Porto subregion, in Norte Region, Portugal. The city of Maia includes the parishes of Gueifães, Maia and Vermoim, and has 39,949 inhabitants. The Maia Municipality comprises 135,049 inhabitants in 17 parishes for a total land...
, and founded in 1919 as a cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
processing company. Cerealis Group has two divisions, food producer Cerealis Produtos Alimentares and miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
Cerealis Moagens which produce and commercialise a range of products including pasta, biscuits, cornflakes as well as providing milled wheat flour and rye flour to the food manufacturing sector. Cerealis Group is a privately owned company and owns the Portuguese well-known brands Milaneza and Nacional. The company's exporting branch, Cerealis Internacional, exports the groups's products, and has its main clients in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cuba, South Africa, and Libya. In 2007, about 200,000,000 euros of products were exported by Cerealis.
History
Founded in 1919 by José Alves de Amorim and Manuel Gonçalves Lage, the company first started out in the milling business, supplying flourFlour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
for bakeries
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
. Spurred on by their initial success, the founders started diversifying. In 1933, they inaugurated a modern manufacturing plant to produce pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
s, launching them on the market with the Milaneza brand name. Milaneza become the leading Pasta-maker on the Portuguese market, being the first one of its kind to be certified. The Grupo Amorim Lage ("Amorim Lage Group") become one of the largest Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
companies in the sector and the oldest in continuous operation in Portugal. In order to certify the quality of its products and manufacturing process, Milaneza is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, with NP EN ISO 9002 certification and certified HACCP systems.
Operating in a large number of markets, including the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Portuguese-speaking African countries, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, exports account for over 25% of the company's business turnover; the company continued to expand in the 2000s. In 2005, the Grupo Amorim Lage, affiliated with the Associação Empresarial de Portugal
Associação Empresarial de Portugal
The Associação Empresarial de Portugal is a Portuguese chamber of commerce, based in Porto, Portugal and founded in 1849. Its first statutes, however, date from 1838....
since 1930, with its subsidiaries Milaneza, Nacional, and Harmonia, was renamed and organized into a new company, Cerealis, SGPS, S.A.
S.A. (corporation)
S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
, Cerealis Produtos Alimentares, S.A. In 2006, three companies (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Ebro Puleva
Ebro Puleva
Ebro Foods S.A. is the leading company in the Spanish food processing sector. Ebro Foods is the world's largest traders/miller of rice and the second biggest producer of pasta ....
and Grupo Gallo and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Barilla S.p.A.) all rumoured to be interested in sealing a deal to acquire Portugal's leading pasta maker Cerealis. The proposed sale, according to Dow Jones, was worth over €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
100 million ($
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
121.12 million) but Cerealis management team refused the offers.