Est. Manuel Silva Torrado & CA (Irmãos), S.A. is a company with a centenary tradition, and a leader in the olive sector in Portugal. The company sells three different olive oil brands.
Although the three brands can be found all over the world, the Saloio brand is the most internationally renowned.
Production of the olive oil sold by EMST is undertaken by a company in the same group – SICA (Sociedade Industrial e Comercial de Azeites). SICA has production and packaging facilities in Serpa and Estremoz. Both production mills are located in strategically strong areas, since these two regions have the greatest area of olive groves in Portugal, where approximately 60% of Portuguese olive oil is produced – Upper and Lower Alentejo. This geographic position enables EMST to ensure an authentic Portuguese olive oil in great quantity and quality from the best olive-growing zone in the country.
First Saloio's brand logo, 1925
First Saloio's brand logo, 1925
Company History
The company Est. Manuel da Silva Torrado & Cª. (Irmãos), S.A., was established in Monforte, Castelo Branco, in 1878, founded by Manuel da Silva Torrado when he was only 20 years old, beginning his activity as a Merchant in Lisbon.
In 1911, along with his brothers, he established the company Manuel da Silva Torrado & Cª. (Irmãos), Lda, a firm that, on 14 February 1946, would become a limited liability company with the current name.
Aware of the quality and refinement of his region’s olive oils, Manuel da Silva Torrado decided to take this delicacy to Lisbon. It was a success! This victory created obligations and, as the market grew, a more rigorous selection was made from olive groves in the region to ensure his olive oil was always the best.
The need arose to find not only an olive oil of great quality, but also packaging that ensured the olive oil reached the consumer with all of its virtues and attributes intact. Therefore, the tin packaging was created to preserve and protect all of the olive oil’s properties.
This is how the brands emerged: Saloio in an initial phase, and Santa Maria later on. The Saloio brand is a representation of the local people who, like Manuel da Silva Torrado, took their best agricultural products from the region surrounding Lisbon to sell in the capital.
After creating the packaging and new brands, these had to be disseminated and promoted in new markets. This task was carried out by Portuguese emigrants who took our olive oil abroad. This made Saloio one of the most well known and widely consumed olive oils in countries all over the world where Portuguese communities settled, thus making it a symbol of Portugal.
This extensive olive oil production and sale operation results from a family legacy that binds the three shareholders, and originates from hard work and great passion, dedication and commitment to produce the best olive oils in our country.
The Saloio brand was registered in 1925, and the Santa Maria brand in 1927.
From the beginning, the company’s core business was always the olive oil trade, and it is currently one of the most established firms in foreign markets, namely Canada, the USA and Brazil, where it has a substantial market share. Along with its core business, the company developed in other fields, such as rice mills and canned goods trade.
In 1997, restructuring of the company and shareholders, which involved an exchange of shares, resulted in the current shareholder framework: Rui Norte dos Santos with 33.33%, Fernando Marques with 33.33% and the firm InvesLopes, S.A., with the remaining 33.34%. These are also the partners of Sociedade Industrial e Comercial de Azeites – SICA.
