Exame has, for the 11th time, named Celulose Beira Industrial, SA as the country’s best company operating in the base materials market. For three decades, Exame magazine, in partnership with Informa DB and Deloitte, has been surveying and analysing the 500 Biggest and Best Companies in Portugal, segmented into 13 areas of business activity.

The magazine’s 2019 edition highlighted 15 companies in various different sectors representing the domestic economy and focused on their contribution in spheres such as international commerce and job creation.

Celulose Beira Industrial (Celbi) was one of the companies honoured, and for the 11th time was awarded the prize for the biggest company in the base materials market. Altri’s chairman Paulo Fernandes states that 2018 was an incredible year in the company’s history, having achieved record results both in terms of turnover – with a 24% growth and a total of 544 million euros – and net results, which reached a new high of 137.8 million euros, which reflected a 55% rise in profits. Exports also rose by 27%, representing over 80% of Celbi’s turnover.

Paulo Fernandes points out that these figures were only possible thanks to the latest investments made at the Figueira da Foz factory, and to improved production processes. Altri has been working towards reducing its environmental impact by promoting a circular economy whenever possible, namely by using by-products from pulp production to generate electricity, and also in terms of its water consumption.

To show the commitment Celbi and the entire Altri group has made in this regard, Paulo Fernandes underlines that there is a series of initiatives which are underway with a view to ensuring a neutral carbon footprint within the next few years.