Celebrating five decades, Celbi SA pointed out in a celebration, last Friday, 19th June, the 50 years after the founding moment par excellence: the placement of the first stone.

After making an Open Day for suppliers coming from all over the country, and having joined efforts with local institutions for a teaching and environmental action of cleaning the beach, an open initiative to the neighboring community of Leirosa Beach, Celbi dedicated the fiftieth anniversary of the placement of the foundation stone of the so called Celulose Billerud SARL to its current employees.

In one of the many garden areas of the factory, an enormous cake, juice and champagne accompanied the chorus of Happy Birthday, followed by a lively gathering and sharing of experiences, learnings and memories. Such as Elísio Parracho that, at 60, works for 50 years in Celbi. "I started working at Celbi as a water carrier, at 11 years old, when the factory had a few months of labouring", he reminded to his colleagues. "In the first day, I came barefoot, in the second with borrowed shoes and in the third, my mother had already bought me some shoes," he confided.

The oldest employee of Celbi still working reviewed the studies he had done, the opportunities that came up and the life he chose, and still chooses, to work in the factory, now in the administrative department. At the other end of the timeline is, José Oliveira, a mechanical engineer admitted just two weeks ago by the company, as a draughtsman and designer. "My father had worked in Celbi and it was an old dream to come here to work," he said. He managed and now it is one of many examples that inspire trainees who encounter in Celbi a first link between the academic world and the real world of work. This is the case of Carla Duque, 25, a native of Soure, who is going to monitor the energy certification of Celbi during six months. "The traineeship ends in three months and I know that, if I leave, I will miss this," she confides, highlighting "the good atmosphere and the generosity of older colleagues" as an important part of her experience.

Throughout the day, a newspaper street vendor, such as those that for half a century sold daily and weekly newspapers, distributed copies of the "Primeira Pedra" (Foundation stone), a newspaper with a single commemorative edition of the 50th anniversary of Celbi. With a circulation of 1000 copies, which will also be offered to nearly 250 regional entities, the "Primeira Pedra" recovers the news given to print, in June 1965, by the local press, especially on the 19th June, when the foundation stone was placed under a concrete landmark outwardly dated, along with a small safe. Inside, there were some currencies of that time, to attract success and fortune, and even a parchment – that on this friday was on exhibition - with a message for the future. In it, you can read up the wish that the factory "will be a contribution to the present generation, to the exaltation of the country and for the well-being of all, especially the inhabitants of the district of Coimbra, who will lend their effort through their arms and the light of their intelligence." Fifty years later, the parchment is still valid, the First solid stone and Celbi growing. Congratulations to all, more especially to those employees who have worked in the company over these decades and that will be cherished on the following 10th of July, in an event that is entirely dedicated to them.