Somague Profile

Somague Profile

Sacyr Ingeniería e Infraestructuras Website

PT BUILDS

1947-2004, Sintra, Portugal

Rua da Tapada da Quinta de Cima, Linhó, 2714-555 Sintra, Portugal

1947

2004

Somague dates back to 1947, when José Vaz Guedes and Bernardo Ernesto Moniz da Maia founded a company. In this first year the company assumed the designation of Moniz da Maia, Duarte & Vaz Guedes, Lda. However, this same name would mutate several times during the second half of the twentieth century, mainly due to splits within the company. The company emerged in response to the anticipated post-war recovery, coupled with strong public investment in major infrastructures, including dams, ports, viaducts, bridges and roads. In the same year of its founding, José Vaz Guedes's company signed its first work, the Castelo de Bode Dam, one of the most important in the Zêzere river and one of the largest in the country.

The company's range of work increased, passing by the construction of bridges, for example the Vale da Ursa Bridge, on the Zêzere river, or even the construction of ports, such as the Funchal Port. Its first international project, the Açude Bridge over the Limpopo River, in Mozambique, was also a big milestone for the company’s first years. Its quick growth resulted in the expansion to other specialties or businesses through the participation or integration of Portuguese and international companies. Examples of this initiative are the creation of Mague in 1952, the creation, in 1986, of Ediçor for the Azores market, a 45% stake in CVC (Construções de Cabo Verde) in 1990, the acquisition of 50% of Habitar in Angola and 80% of the company Sogel in Mozambique in 1999 and, finally, the control in 2002 of the company specializing in the railway market, Neopul. Gradually the company grew and became a specialist in various areas, intervening in various locations.

From 1952, the company undergoes several structural changes, changing its name to Moniz da Maia & Vaz Guedes, Lda. and transforming it in a limited liability company, in 1965. In 1969, the Vaz Guedes family acquired the entire capital of the company, renaming it Sociedade de Empreitadas Somague. Finally, in 1998, the merger of Somague with Soconstroi gave way to Somague Engenharia SA, one of the largest Portuguese construction and public works company. In the year 2000, Somague joined the Sacyr Vallehermoso Group, a business group that was bringing together several leading companies in different segments. Finally, in 2004, Somague was fully integrated into the group resulting in a larger and stronger business group with excellent business potential and the ability to compete on a different scale, a scale not only restricted to the domestic market or the former Portuguese “ultramar”, namely Angola and Mozambique.

Click on the selected works below to know more about them:

Ponte dos Socorridos, Câmara de Lobos
Doca 13, Lisboa
Barragem de Castelo de Bode, Tomar

The timeline of woks done by/with the collaboration of Somague