Odebrecht
Encyclopedia
Odebrecht S.A. is a Brazilian conglomerate in the fields of engineering
, construction
, chemicals and petrochemical
s. The company was founded in 1944 in Salvador da Bahia by Norberto Odebrecht
, and is now present in South America, Central America, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Odebrecht controls Braskem
, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America, the fifth largest in the world, with exports to 60 countries in all continents of the world. By revenue Braskem
is the fourth largest in the Americas and the seventeenth in the world.
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, chemicals and petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
s. The company was founded in 1944 in Salvador da Bahia by Norberto Odebrecht
Norberto Odebrecht
Norberto Odebrecht is a Brazilian engineer, businessman and founder of the Brazilian Odebrecht Foundation ....
, and is now present in South America, Central America, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Odebrecht controls Braskem
Braskem
Braskem is a Brazilian petrochemical company headquartered in São Paulo. The company is the largest petrochemical in the Americas by production capacity and the fifth largest in the world...
, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America, the fifth largest in the world, with exports to 60 countries in all continents of the world. By revenue Braskem
Braskem
Braskem is a Brazilian petrochemical company headquartered in São Paulo. The company is the largest petrochemical in the Americas by production capacity and the fifth largest in the world...
is the fourth largest in the Americas and the seventeenth in the world.
Timeline
- 1944–1945: Norberto Odebrecht establishes a privately owned firm, the founding milestone for the Odebrecht Group. The firm becomes Norberto Odebrecht Construtora Ltda.
- 1957–1965: Norberto Odebrecht pays off all debts owned by Emílio Odebrecht & Cia (his father’s company). The company changes its name to Construtora Norberto Odebrecht S.A.
- 1970–1973: The Odebrecht FoundationOdebrecht FoundationThe Odebrecht Foundation was created by Norberto Odebrecht, a Brazilian engineer and businessman who in 1944 founded the Odebrecht company, in order to provide company members benefits that the Brazilian Social Security system either did not provide or only could cover partially from 1965.In 1988...
is created, focusing on providing social securitySocial securitySocial security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
benefits to Odebrecht employees. Also, Odebrecht undertakes major construction projects in the southeast of Brazil. - 1979–1980: Odebrecht goes international and starts to diversify its business. CBPO merges with the Odebrecht Group.
- 1981: Odebrecht S.A. is created.
- 1990: Odebrecht enters the U.S. market and becomes the first Brazilian contractor to win a U.S. federal government contract.
- 1999: Odebrecht focuses on sustainable development of micro regions in Brazil’s northeast, and marks 40 years of contributions to Brazilian art and culture.
- 2000: Odebrecht is ranked as Latin America's top engineering and construction company and one of the world's 30 largest service exporters by Engineering News-Record.
- 2002: Odebrecht establishes BraskemBraskemBraskem is a Brazilian petrochemical company headquartered in São Paulo. The company is the largest petrochemical in the Americas by production capacity and the fifth largest in the world...
as Latin America’s largest petrochemical producer. The group reaches the milestones of 1,000 members within 25 years of service. - 2004–2007: The Odebrecht Group celebrates its 60th anniversary. ETH Bioenergy is established to produce sugar ethanol, sugar and energy.
Corporate structures
- Odebrecht Energia (energy) – Invests, constructs and manages projects from the Brazilian electric sector, such as hydroelectric, thermoelectric and nuclear power plants.
- Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial (industrial engineering) – Constructs and assembles industrial facilities in Brazil and abroad, serving clients from a range of different sectors.
- Odebrecht Infraestrutura (infrastructure) – Completes important projects in the transport, sanitation, sports arena and irrigation sectors in Brazil.
- Odebrecht América Latina & Angola (Latin America and Angola) – Leads investments and construction projects in regions that served as the pioneers for Odebrecht’s international expansion.
- Odebrecht Venezuela – Invests and completes projects in the infrastructure, real estate, industrial, oil and gas, petrochemical and food security sectors in the country.
- Odebrecht International – Gathers Members of 65 different nationalities, maintaining a unique quality standard and respecting the unique characteristics of each region.
- Odebrecht Óleo e Gás S.A. (oil and gas) – Explores and produces oil and gas fields, operates rigs and provides integrated services for other companies from the sector.
- Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias S.A. (real estate developments) – Develops residential, business, commercial and tourism ventures.
- Foz do Brasil S.A. – Provides water supply and waste treatment services.
- ETH Bioenergia S.A. – Produces alcohol fuel (ethanol), electricity and sugar using sugarcane.
- Brasken S.A. – Produces raw materials in an integrated fashion, including ethane, propane and chlorine, as well as second-generation petrochemical products, such as thermoplastic resins.
- Odebrecht Participações e Investimentos – Leads the company’s operations in diversified infrastructure sectors, investing in transportation and logistics, energy, sports arenas and irrigation.
- Odebrecht Administradora e Corretora de Seguros Ltda. – Protects the assets of shareholders by identifying, mitigating and managing risks.
- Odeprev – Designs and operates supplementary pension plans for Odebrecht Organization members, preparing them for retirement.
- Fundação Odebrecht (foundation) – Promotes youths’ education for life, through work and for values, as well as the sustainable development of productive chains.
Rankings
2009 Engineering News-Record magazine rankings:- No. 18 The Top 225 International Contractors
- No. 34 The Top 225 Global Contractors
- No. 1 Hydro Plants
- No. 4 Sewerage and Solid Waste
- No. 4 Water Supply
- No. 1 Sanitary and Storm Sewers
- No. 5 Pipelines
- No. 5 Water Treatment and Desalinization
- No. 12 Transportation
- No. 5 Bridges
- No. 7 Highways
- No. 9 Mass Transit
- No. 6 Airports
Notable projects
USA- Metrorail MIC-Earlington Heights Connector (in progress)
- MIA Mover APM System (in progress)
- FIU StadiumFIU StadiumFIU Stadium, popularly known as "The Cage", is the on-campus American football stadium of Florida International University in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the home field of the FIU Golden Panthers football team. The stadium opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for...
- Miami International AirportMiami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
– north and south terminals, concourse A and E, FAA traffic control tower, Dolphin parking garage, cargo buildings - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing ArtsAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing ArtsAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States...
- I-40 Interchange
- The Ritz Carlton Hotel, Key Biscayne
- Orland International Airport – north taxiway and south terminal
- American Airlines Arena
- Garcon Point BridgeGarcon point bridgeThe Garcon Point Bridge is a 2-lane toll bridge in Santa Rosa County, in the Florida panhandle. The bridge generally runs north - south and connects U.S. Route 98 east of Gulf Breeze, Florida to Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 west of Milton, Florida. The road and bridge uses the TOLL 281 shield on...
- SR 826 Palmetto
- Seven Oaks DamSeven Oaks DamThe Seven Oaks Dam is located on the Santa Ana River, 4 miles northeast of Redlands, California. It was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control dam. The dam sits virtually on top of the San Andreas Fault and is designed to withstand a magnitude 8.0...
- Merrill Barber Bridge
- Miami Metro Mover