From a simple background, Julio Sim\u00f5es chose Mogi das Cruzes to start a new life, started a family in the city and gave birth to a promising business<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Report by: The Daily<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Julio Sim\u00f5es<\/strong>, founder of the transportation company that bears his name, landed in Mogi das Cruzes<\/strong> in the 1950s, at the age of 24. Born in a small village in the interior of Portugal, he crossed the Atlantic in search of new opportunities and arrived in the city to work alongside his uncle. It wasn't long before he married, put down roots and made the land of persimmons his new home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the support of his wife Elvira<\/strong>After the birth of her first child, she put all her savings together, bought a used truck to work in transportation<\/strong>. On the road, he discovered his passion for the industry and started his own business. The company prospered and developed alongside Mogi, becoming the Simpar<\/strong>, one of the largest business groups in the country<\/strong> and with a solid track record in at least 16 sectors of the economy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"When my father realized that the opportunities in Portugal weren't enough for the size of his dreams, he came to Brazil and chose to live in Mogi. The city welcomed him very well. It was here that he met my mother and, together, they settled down and started our family. I was born and have lived almost all my life in Mogi and I have a huge affection for the city, which has been very important in building what we are today,\" he says.\u00a0<\/em>Fernando Sim\u00f5es<\/strong>, the youngest son and a businessman from Mogi who continued his father's business.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, Simpar is a holding company that controls eight companies<\/strong> independent: JSL<\/strong>, Movida<\/strong>, Let's go<\/strong>, CS Brasil<\/strong>, Automob<\/strong>, BBC Digital Bank<\/strong>, CS Infra<\/strong> e Ciclus Ambiental<\/strong>. They operate in various sectors, such as transportation and logistics, light and heavy vehicle rental, urban mobility, new and used car dealerships, financial services, infrastructure concessions, sanitation and waste management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Our administrative headquarters are in Mogi and this is where most of our employees are based. We are very proud of our origins and always seek to contribute to the city's development. We even carry out various actions through the Julio Sim\u00f5es Institute, our social arm. One example is the program 'Voc\u00ea quer? You can!\" program, which trains young people and prepares them for the job market. We also welcome students from the municipal schools of Mogi and the region to our Memory Center, which tells how our history blends with that of the city<\/em>\", adds Fernando.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Mr. Julio's company began to take shape between the 1950s and 1960s, when he made his transportation business more formal, bought a shed to be the headquarters, increased the fleet and opened the first branch in Santos. At that time, Mogi had just turned four centuries old and had around 100,000 inhabitants. Still a far cry from the current population, estimated at around 460,000 people, according to the IBGE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the city, which was growing and prospering, the fleet of the Transport company Julio Sim\u00f5es<\/strong> was also expanding, as was the desire to diversify the business and reach strategic sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The youngest of five siblings, Fernando Ant\u00f4nio Sim\u00f5es<\/strong>, now president of Simpar, started working for his father's company in 1981, when he was just 14 years old. He has held various positions, which have allowed him to get to know each area, activity and project of the business in depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"I dedicated myself to my work to show my father how much he inspired me. I owe a large part of who I am today to him and the lessons he taught me. I fondly remember his teachings about the company, the importance of work and dedication to customers. It was in Mogi that, at the age of five or six, during our visits to the transport company, I learned the difference that a well-executed, quality service can make, both for the company, for the customers and, on a larger scale, for the lives of Brazilians<\/em>\" recalls Fernando.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The cradle in Mogi das Cruzes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
The son helped his father diversify the business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n