AFA is the second best construction company in Portugal
In financial year 2008, AFAVIAS - Engenharia e Construções, SA, on the verge of completing 30 years of activity, achieved one of the best results in its history.
The drop in the volume of works in the Autonomous Region of Madeira stimulated the search for new international markets, resulting in an increase of 27% in sales abroad over the previous year, which led to an overall growth of 37% in AFA's sales compared to 2007.
The increase in turnover, resulting from the international expansion, together with the excellent results in productivity and profitability of the applied assets, earned the company second place as BEST COMPANY in the Construction Sector, awarded by the magazine EXAME - 500 BIGGEST AND BEST in a ranking based on the performances of the 20 largest companies of the sector.
Measured by eight indexes-they include the growth in sales and results; the return on sales, equity capital and assets; solvency, liquidity and the gross added value of the sales-AFA's good performance generated an EBITDA of 29.8 million euros, 25% more than obtained in 2007 and the profitability ratio of the equity capital was 37%, which was 18% higher than that of the previous financial year.
This honourable ranking is proof of AFA's excellent financial situation, with good levels of liquidity and financial autonomy and profitability of its equity capital.
Cláudia Arsénio
November 2009
AFA present in Mauritania
Within the scope of its internationalisation, since February 2007 (laying of the first stone), AFA has been involved in a consortium project in south MAURITANIA, 430 km from the capital Nouakchott. The construction of approximately 300 km of highway includes engineering structures (bridges, culverts and run-off sills) and about 160 km of asphalt surfacing, the work being divided into two lots.
Lot 1 consists of the construction of a highway with asphalt paving between the cities of Kaedi and M'bout, including the construction of 6 bridges, 28 run-off sills and 111 water crossings. This lot also includes the paving of a slip road at Foum Gleita with a double bituminous surface and the construction of 10 run-off sills and 14 water crossings.
In regard to Lot 2, the work consists of the construction of priority works between M'bout and Selibaby, with a view to making travel possible during the rainy season, and the double bituminous surface between Selibaby and Gouraye over a distance of approximately 43 km. Overall, the intervention of AFA consists of the construction of 10 bridges, 74 culverts, 13 run-off sills and 43 Km of double bituminous surfacing.
The goal of this project is to equip this zone with the means of communication needed to avoid the cutting off of the population and guarantee them supplies.
Afonso Gouveia
October 2009
Rádio Calheta
8 years broadcasting music and information
On the air since 2001, Rádio Calheta (RC) is already a point of reference on the western side of Madeira Island and especially in the municipality of Calheta. In performing a genuine public service of radio broadcasing, RC covers the entire municipality of Calheta and some of the neighbouring municipalities, bringing people closer to the institutions in the area. Among the diverse initiatives transmitted by RC, the preponderant service is the bringing to the homes of the residents of the municipality all the local information that was never broadcast before, due to the centralisation of information in the capital of Madeira.
RC assumes the role of being a project directed towards all listeners of all ages, betting on new music to conquer the younger audience. The older listeners greatly appreciate the religious programmes, especially the Rosary and the masses broadcast directly from the main Parish Church in Calheta.
As there are no audience surveys in Madeira, it is not easy to give an average number of those who listen to RC, but it is evident that the residents of Calheta give preference to "their" radio station. Only the audience listening via Internet is quantified, and RC is the second most listened to privately-owned radio station of Madeira, heard by our emigrants scattered around the world.
In terms of projects, besides the renovation of the site (www.radiocalheta.com), which is currently underway, RC plans to create a Web radio station dedicated to the emigrants, with 24-hour continuous programming consisting solely and exclusively of Portuguese music, Madeiran music in particular. Also there will soon be an improvement in the broadcast coverage of the parish of Arco da Calheta.
Remember that Rádio Calheta transmists on 98.8 MHz and has three micro-transmitters to cover Ponta do Pargo and Fajã da Ovelha (107.1 MHz), Paúl do Mar and Jardim do Mar (104.3 MHz) and the low-lying area of the municipality of Calheta (102.7 MHz).
The Team of Rádios Calheta and Santana FM: Lisbeth Nunes, Valentina Jesus, Verónica Freitas, Miguel Guarda, Nélio Freitas and Paulo Anastácio.
Miguel Guarda
September 2009
Merger and new company name
AFA Group adapts to the current times based on a renewed image
Integrated in the project for the reorganisation and modernisation of the image currently underway, the two companies of civil construction and public works of the AFA Group - ‘Avelino Farinha & Agrela, S.A.' and ‘FUNCHALBETÃO - Técnicas de Betão e Construções, S.A'. - undertook a merger process that is expected to be concluded by the end of the current year.
With the aforementioned merger, there will be a reorganisation of the two companies, in order to empower the existing synergies and take better advantage of the corresponding human and material resources, with a view to giving a more efficient, modern and professional response to the new challenges that the AFA Group faces, namely those arising from the expansion and diversification of its activity, domestically and internationally.
This merger will result in the transfer of the patrimony and all the workers of ‘FUNCHALBETÃO' to ‘Avelino Farinha & Agrela, S.A.', forming a single company.
Furthermore, under this project of reorganisation and modernisation, 'Avelino Farinha & Agrela, S.A.' will adopt the company name ‘AFAVIAS - ENGENHARIA E CONSTRUÇÕES, S.A.', a designation that is more in tune with the status of a modern and highly professional company.
Elizabeth Nunes
August 2009
Calheta Beach Hotel
The same quality with greater functionality
The Calheta Beach Hotel marks the position of the AFA Group in the area of tourism. The hotel currently has 140 rooms, the result of an expansion carried carried out over the last 8 months; two swimming pools, one indoors and one outdoors; 5 bars and 2 restaurants. To improve its offer to clients, this year we remodelled all the rooms in the hotel and equipped them with quality LCD TVs and TV on-demand. Taking into account the growing demand recorded over the last 3 years, with the fame and prestige attained in the European markets, the hotel had to be expanded. This expansion took into account the parameters of quality and comfort we have been known for.
In 2009, the Calheta Beach Hotel was considered the best 4-star hotel of Madeira by the site Hotels.com, in partnership with the largest opinion site of Europe, Trip Advisor, the result of work done over the last few years.
Jordão Freitas
July 2009
AFA Group continues to bet on mainland Portugal with its entry into the construction market
The structure of the representation of the AFA Group in Lisbon, which has carried out various initiatives in the market on the mainland since 2003, specifically the identification of business opportunities, in 2006 began the first contract work for a company of the Group in Lisbon: the Casa do Oriente.
Today, it is the strategy of the company to expand the group's presence in this market. This desire has already produced its first effects, after AFA won the contract in public tender (in consortium with Zagope and ACF) for lot 2 AN5 (Schools of Paredes and Santo Tirso) of the school installations.
The valor of the contract award is 25,000,000.00€ (twenty-five million euros) divided in the following manner:
• School of Santo Tirso - 12,021,520.00€
• School of Paredes - 12,978,480.00€
The consortium divided the works awarded, AFA having the responsibility for executing the project for the School of Paredes, within the period of 18 months, beginning last 5 June.
The challenge is great and requires an effort in both finances and resources that is only possible through the support the whole structure of the company has given in an exemplary manner.
António Teixeira de Sousa e António Rosa Gomes
June 2009
Quality Certification at AFA
AFA began the implementation of the Management System in 2005, a strategic decision which received certification in August 2007. Since that time, and based on the Management System, a management model has been developed that is oriented towards continuing improvement and for the high levels of competitiveness of the market, which served as a platform for the goals relevant to the level of optimisation of the Production Processes.
The consolidation of the Management System was the lever for accomplishments to be proud of, such as: the first company at the national level to receive the certification of Product - Concrete, the first company at the regional level to receive the CE Mark for Asphalt Mixtures and the broader scope of the Certification of the Plant for Concrete Products. There accomplishments demonstrate to the market the high levels of competitiveness that are intrinsec to the organisational culture of the Company.
We believe that the creation of value generated by these processes, based on a systemic entrepreneurial approach leverages competitive advantages in the important entrepreneurial differentiation at the global level that is more and more oriented towards innovation.
"Quality is a philosophy of Management and not its goal" (Edwards Deming, 1956).
Luís Alberto Santos
May 2009
Company Committee and its strengths
Over the years, AFA Group has always done its business with the adoption of criteria of real and effective social responsibility.
Along this line, besides the normal concern of the Group for the on-the-job well-being of its workers, times of fraternising were organised, including the Christmas Dinner, which has given workers the chance to get together outside the working environment.
The interaction between co-workers has also been cultivated through some spontaneous initiatives for get-togethers promoted by some of the workers of the Group.
Based on this premise there arose the idea of centralising the promotion of all the activities and events outside the workplace in a single internal structure.
This structure, called the Company Committee (CC), will be responsible for the organisation of the wide variety of activities outside the workplace, such as: excursions, dinners, football tournaments, get-togethers, visits to works and establishments of the AFA Group, volunteer and solidarity movements, among others.
Given the weight of the AFA Group on the market, it will also be the duty of the CC to undertake efforts to obtain for the workers of the Group the widest variety of discounts, facilities and other benefits in stores, gymnasiums, trips, etc..
All the events and advantages will be published in the company newsletter.
The CC is made up of Andreia Correia, Fátima Gonçalves, Bruno Dantas and Ricardo Farinha.
The CC is grateful for the attention given this project and is counting on the ideas and the active participation of all the workers of the Group. Their contribution will spell the success of this initiative.
Ricardo Farinha