Amorim Industrial Solutions history

Joined by her sons, the Amorim family grew quickly--by 1914 the company operated 17 stopper machines.

1922: The company is incorporated as Amorim e Irmãos Lda. with the nine Amorim brothers as shareholders.

In 1935, the company was able to build a new and larger factory, this time in Rossio, at the heart of Portugal's cork oak plantation.

Yet Amorim e Irmãos was nearly wiped out as a fire completely destroyed its warehouse and factory in March 1944.

1963: The company establishes Corticeira Amorim for production of diversified cork-based products.

The company then incorporated this new subsidiary as Corticeira Amorim SA. In 1966, the company built a new factory dedicated to the production of thermal and acoustic insulation products, which made use especially of agglomerates made from dark cork.

That business was followed in 1981 by a major shareholding in Sociedade Portuguesa de Investimento.

In 1983, the company added the champagne category with the inauguration of a new subsidiary, Champcork--Rolhas de Champanhe SA.

That division grew in 1989 with the acquisition of Sweden's Wicanders Group, a maker of cork flooring products.

1992: The company acquires Carl Ed.

1996: A code of practice designed to eliminate TCA tainting is adopted.

The company also continued to boost its position as market leader, through such acquisitions as Inter Champagne--Fabricante de Rolhas de Champanhe and General Cork, both acquired in 1998.

2000: The company inaugurates a new state-of-the-art production facility that claims to enable TCA-free cork production.