Fernando Teles
Fernando Jorge
Francisco Ferreira
Chairman of Outeirinho Group
He has a degree in medicine and, in fact, he was a doctor for 18 years. Fate decided, or perhaps he did himself, that he should dedicate more than a decade of his life to being the mayor of Vizela. He turned his attention to the water business in 2009, the year in which he started the construction of Aguarelo do Mundo, in Chamusca. Despite officially being retired, Francisco Ferreira never stops travelling to all the places where the Outeirinho Group works. Although the Group is already present on five continents, there are still many ambitious projects for the future.
Águas de S. Martinho was the Group's first project. What others have come into being since then?
Many! This is a highly dynamic group. Outeirinho, Turismo e Indústria S.A., owner of Águas Martinho, was acquired in 1999. In 2009, we created and built from scratch Aguarelo do Mundo, in Chamusca. A year later, we purchased Águas S. Cristóvão. This year we acquired a company in Spain, which we are renovating to be on the market in November. We expect to have a new factory in Portugal next year.
What makes Healsi a premium water?
Healsi is a premium water because of its chemical composition, with a high concentration of silica, 61 mg/litre and a neutral pH, which gives it excellent health benefits; because of the quality of the water; and because of the design of its packaging, which highlights to the sophisticated nature of the product. Indeed, it should be noted we have already been given two awards in these areas: water quality and packaging design.
«Healsi is a premium water because of its chemical composition; because of the quality of the water; and because of the design of its packaging»
Healsi has triggered the brand’s expansion abroad. What markets have you invested in and/or do you intend to reach?
Healsi has been without a doubt the grand ambassador for the Outeirinho Group. Our market is global. We are already on five continents.
To what extent are technological innovations an indispensable tool for the Group’s area of activity?
We currently have three production units – Outeirinho, in Fafe; Aguarelo do Mundo, in Chamusca; and Muralha de Água, in Resende – all operating with equipment featuring the latest technology. These major investments have lead to greater productivity, quality control and greater customer responsiveness. In Spain, at Águas Minerais de Avila, we are revamping the company with the purchase of new equipment, to be prepared for the supply orders we know, given the quality of this water, will be large in volume. We have a have the largest water bottling plant in Portugal, and the Healsi plant features the best technology available on the market! We produce our own PET packaging internally, which, in view of the complexity of its design, requires cutting-edge technology and a great deal of know-how.
What new challenges do you want to embrace in the near future?
Within three to four years, we want to reach a turnover three times greater than our current figures, exceeding the 100 million Euro mark. We also have another challenge that will be setting up a company, a new production unit, within a three-year time frame, with a very special water.
