THE 1940 TO 1960 DECADES: THE ORIGIN

The origin of Edifer dates from the first half of the 1940 decade, when its founders started their professional activity in the building sector. During the first years, they have performed a vast set of works on different locations in Portugal.

THE 1960 TO 1980 DECADES: EDIFER

The 1960 decade witnessed the prosperity and growth of family companies and, in this climate, Edifer – Construções Pires Coelho & Fernandes was founded in 1966. The first landmark of the Group’s history was the building of Palácio da Justiça (Justice Palace), in Lisbon, reflecting the expansion period which lasted until 1973.  Attributes such as quality, accuracy and financial soundness, recognised by the market, have enabled Edifer to face the boiling years which followed and to maintain great stability in the development of operations.

1980 TO 2000 DECADES: THE GROUP

During the economically recessive years of the 1980 decade, and particularly during the crisis peak (1983-1985) in the sector, the implemented strategic guidelines have proved to be correct and opportune: geographic diversification and the extension to the main national markets, with the establishment of Delegations in the North Region and the Algarve and the set up in the Azores and Madera markets.

Then, companies were also created to operate directly in very specific segments of the sector: these were Edifer Imobiliária (in 1985), Edimetal and Carpinfer (both in 1988).

In 1987, the Group holding company - GESTIFER - was established and gave its name to the Group. This innovating corporate strategic step had formalized the first economic group playing as such in the Building and Public Works sector.

During the 1990 decade, the Group increased its intervention in the building sector, by the fusion of the FGE participated company with Tecnasol, having given origin to a company which soon became leader in the foundation and geotechnics segment. Right afterwards, the Group acquired a roadway segment company. In the second half of the 1990’s, the Group, meanwhile renamed Grupo Edifer, started activity on the roadway operation business. In 1996, Edifer Construções was the first building company to be quality certified under the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

THE PRESENT: THE INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

With more than sixty years of projects, the Edifer Group enters the new century with a reference rank positioning amongst the Portuguese biggest building groups, consolidating its growth and visibly intervening on important activity domains.

The internationalization process has been particularly important during this decade. Presently, the Group has current activity in Portugal, Spain, Angola, Algeria and Cap Verde, and already develops projects in different markets such as France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Ireland, Bulgaria, Germany, Morocco, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Chile, Brazil, Argentina e the USA.