Two brothers with a dream - the cornerstones of the company
Fifty years ago, two brothers, Mr. Adelino Santos Silva and Mr. Joaquim Santos Silva, set the founding stone of a company with great national and international implantation and capable of dynamic growth. Born into a humble family, both partners seemed destined for metallurgy, metalworking, and the energy sector. Through a path of remarkable success and several hardships, they endured and built what has become one of the most important contributors to the national Gross Domestic Product

Founded in 1971, Metalogalva - Irmãos Silvas, S.A. is the oldest company in the Vigent Group. This business comprises several industrial units occupying an area of 60.440m², in a total gross area of 199.000m², with the fundamental contribution of more than a thousand members. Apart from the six units in the North of Portugal, located in Trofa, Albergaria-a-Velha, and Vila Nova de Famalicão, the organization is also powered by other national units. On the international panorama, Metalogalva´s influence spreads on five different continents and multiple countries.

From September of that year until today, several important milestones were achieved. In 2002, Oporto´s subway was inaugurated, whose catenary poles were provided by Metalogalva. In 2011, it initiated its international path, with the installation of five hundred Gsm-rail communication towers in France. In 2020, the company purchased 49% of the capital of French Petitjean SAS. These are just examples that resume the first five decades of an extensive history of favourable accomplishments that additionally contributed to the development of the country.

Despite being the genesis of everything, the company is today part of a much wider universe that involves the food sector and the real estate area. VigentGroup consists of more than thirty-five companies and 2324 employees, generating a consolidated turnover of 326 million euros and aggregate invoicing of almost 500 million euros.

Innovation, Ambition, and Competitiveness. Three seeds planted in the beginning originated strong roots that summarize the founding values of the project. The policies adopted by the company reflect a set of commitments established in the relations and partnerships with its environment, with the main objective being the strategic and sustained development to establish themselves as reference companies in all sectors and markets.

The current mission
Substantial projects have allowed Metalogalva to position itself as a world-leading company, with a current sales turnover of 147 million euros, the outcome of a strong global presence in permanent expansion across several countries. Recognized for production quality, technological innovation capacity, and international expansion, the company has been continuously growing in different sectors.

However, the notoriety of Metalogalva goes beyond its dimension, a consequence of sustained and continued improvement and dynamic of a custom carrier in its human resources, determining factor in a time of globalization. As in a structure, every single piece is fundamental.

Metalogalva's mission - to produce steel structures - is the proof that it is possible to simultaneously provide the highest quality of products and services, as well as promote responsible business and environmental management, welfare, motivation, and safety of human capital. Achieving maximum productivity and ensuring high-quality standards for customer satisfaction are based on a culture of research, development, and innovation of products.

The firm develops its activity in the design and manufacture of steel structures, with highly qualified engineers who can provide comprehensive and innovative engineering solutions, namely in the metalworking building segments as well as performing test prototypes, at the level of assembly and structural strength.

Ultimately, these characteristics are assessed by all of us, on a day-to-day basis. The products developed have applications in numerous sectors of activity, namely, energy, lighting, telecommunications, roads, and railways, and have a positive effect on the daily life of the population and other companies.

With millions of cars in constant movement, safety becomes the priority. The company offers a global solution for the supply of road equipment, ranging from road safety guardrails, rails for bridges and flyovers, safety rails for protection of motorcycles, safety barriers, to gantries and their accessories.

Rail transport is a fundamental part of the supply chain that provides trade and economic growth, becoming predominant in highly industrialized regions such as Europe and Eastern Asia, because of its high load capacity and energy efficiency. Metalogalva acts in this area as the main provider of railway infrastructure installers, providing poles for support of catenaries, highway structures for signalling equipment and CCTV masts, cantilever signs, and safety barriers for protection against access to the catenaries.

An additional solid market relies on telecommunications, where this business registers over two decades of experience in the design and manufacture of towers of a reticulated square base and triangular and tubular poles, specially designed to meet the demands of major national mobile network operators.

In the field of energy, Metalogalva has a deep knowledge on the design and production of steel structures for transmission and distribution overhead lines. In its activities, it stands out as a major supplier of Portuguese operators, as well as in its participation in various international projects.

The action in developing renewable energies infrastructures is the culmination of several decades of work. Supported by a competent engineering department, each structure is developed according to customer requirements as well as the norms in force.

Therefore, from airports, roads, public gardens or even football fields, aspects such as modularity, ease of assembly, and durability become key points from the conceptualization stage to the lifetime of the installation.

What does the future hold?
Currently, it is inconceivable to ignore one of the greatest challenges that humanity faces, the protection of the environment. In today's world, results should be wider than exclusively chasing financial scores. The safety and health of employees, customers, and the community are indispensable values for sustainability and for the responsibility to manage the impact of activities, products, and services on society.

As the corporate past proves, the goal has always been to plant a tree in which shade we might not sit. Metalogalva's projects account for the impact on the world and the contribution to future generations.

First of all, environmental protection is guaranteed using the best available technologies for the effective use of natural resources, including the minimization of waste-material, reducing pollution through proper waste management, and the capture and filtering of gaseous emissions, in the treatment of wastewater and the encapsulation of noisy equipment.

Risks and impacts associated with the activities of the group undertakings are also a vital concern, being identified and periodically assessed. Operational control measures are defined and monitored to establish continuous improvement in the areas of environmental, safety, and health at work.

Along with that, the protection of employees is ensured through training, information, and work instructions, constant implementation of measures for the elimination or mitigation of risks, collective protection systems, and personal protection equipment. The companies have trained procedures for operation in case of emergency, with teams of firefighting, evacuation, and rescue.

Regardless of the uncertainty of the future, Metalogalva will continue to focus on its knowledge, to improve competitiveness, increase its influence on the local community and add new geographies to the multiple where the company is already present. It will remain being a company from Trofa, Portugal, that looks to the world. The responsibility towards the community is growing, so the objective is to certify that the company will always be led by professionals who can meet the new challenges that lie ahead.

The relationship with key suppliers and partners began with Mr. Adelino Santos Silva, and Mr. Joaquim Santos Silva, but is currently continued with the loyal commitment of the new generation. The vision set by the duo of founders is in constant evolution, with the newest data and up to date knowledge, without never forgetting the core values that guided the company to where it is positioned today.

At present, the position in which it stands is due to the employees' competence and professionalism, the partners' spirit of commitment and rigor, and the trust of shareholders. Based on the consistent determination, Metalogalva turned into one of the largest corporate groups in the municipality, the country, Europe and the World. Now, the only promise is to take further innovation, thoughtful planning, and courage to continue resisting, with the same will, the wind and dust of current times, which represent all the new challenges ahead for the next fifty years.

For More Information Contact
Metalogalva
https://metalogalva.pt/en/