Meet the entrepreneur responsible for the largest almond shelling factory in the Alentejo, at a COMPETE 2030 event to celebrate St Martin's Day.
COMPETE 2030 welcomed José Dários, from Almencor, for a chat, moderated by Lourenço Ovidio, from the Communication Unit, about his personal and professional journey. In an informal setting that promoted conversation and an exchange of views between the founder of Almencor and the COMPETE 2030 teams, we learnt more about the personal focus and ambition that led him to choose higher education in the agri-food sector and the decision to create, in Portugal, what is currently among the most technologically advanced almond shelling factories in Europe.
With origins in the United States and a dream of setting up an almond shelling factory in Portugal, even with language challenges, he ‘threw himself in’ and found his opportunity in COMPETE 2020 and EU funds. With the help of a consultant, he faced the bureaucracy and challenges of choosing the land. Today, at Azaruja, he already employs 30 people and feels like part of a big family. It’s rare, but he has called in during the night to solve technical problems. The future looks bright, and the figures speak for themselves, with an ambitious growth forecast for the next few years.
Background
Born in the United States and driven by a dream to create his own almond shelling factory in Portugal, José Dários faced linguistic and bureaucratic challenges to turn his vision into reality. With the help of COMPETE 2020 and EU funds, he found an excellent opportunity.
‘I was told about EU funds and COMPETE 2020 that it would be a good opportunity. As I had some difficulty with the language, I turned to a consultant and jumped at it.’
I had a few challenges with the bureaucracy and choosing a location, but once again, I ‘threw myself in’ and it was the best thing I could do. ‘We’re in Azaruja and, in some way, I’ve already contributed to developing the area a little, and we currently have 30 people.’
With the guidance of a consultant, he overcame obstacles such as choosing the location of the land, showing unwavering determination. Today, his factory flourishes in Azaruja, employing 30 people and forming a real family.
“We’re united. It rarely happens, but I’ve called in late at night because a machine broke down and I went there with the engineer to get dirty to fix it. We have to get down to work.”
This passionate entrepreneur shows a remarkable commitment to his business, being willing to solve problems at any time of the day or night. His success story is evidenced by the impressive figures that continue to grow, promising a bright future on the horizon.
The ‘ALMENCOR 2020’ project promoted by ALMENCOR – Comercialização e Descasque Alentejano de Frutos Secos, Lda. has the support of COMPETE 2020 under the Productive Innovation Incentive System, involving an eligible investment of 12 million euros, which resulted in an incentive of 8.5 million euros.
More information about Almencor: https://almencor.com/
In the most recent edition of “Boas Conversas”, COMPETE 2030 welcomed Jorge Carneiro, from Grestel, to talk about the Ecogrés 4.0 project, a finalist in the Regiostars 2024 awards.
The 4th phase of applications for the “SIID - Internationalization of R&D - Industrial R&D operations on a European scale” call closes on September 30th at 7pm.
This action is part of “International Business 2023-25”, an operation co-financed by COMPETE 2030, and will take place in the United Kingdom from March 17 to 21, 2025.