Browse Novonor's more than seven decades of experience.
In Salvador, Bahia, the young engineer, Norberto Odebrecht created a company that became the origin of the current Novonor. From its very founding, there was a simple idea that, even today, stands at the foundation of the Group's philosophy: to identify, integrate and develop young professionals with talent and a disposition for entrepreneurship.
The Group's DNA goes back to the year 1856, the date on which Emil Odebrecht arrived in Brazil. Following the flow of German immigration into the country, the German engineer settled in Vale do Itajaí, in the Southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.
He married Bertha Bichels, and they had 15 children. One of his grandsons, Emílio Odebrecht – Norberto's father – would pursue the field of Civil Construction and would reveal the entrepreneurial bent of the Odebrecht family.
The Isaac Gondim e Odebrecht Ltd. construction company was Emílio Odebrecht’s first company. In 1923, he founded Emílio Odebrecht & Cia., which was responsible for construction of several buildings during the interwar period in the Northeast of Brazil.
With the start of the Second World War, construction materials coming from Europe became expensive and scarce, generating a crisis in the construction business. Emílio got out of the business and it fell upon his son, Norberto, to take his place in 1941
Norberto Odebrecht took on projects in Salvador and in rural Bahia and began to establish an exclusive name for quality and innovation. The projects included the Worker's Circle (1946), Ilha do Fogo River Shipyard (1947), docks and mooring bridge in Canavieiras (1948).
Construction innovation, planning and productivity allowed for the conclusion of the Belo Horizonte Building in just seven months, when the average at that time was three years.
Odebrecht construye su primera central hidroeléctrica. La CHE de Correntina se implantó en la frontera de los estados de Bahia y Goiás.
The Novonor Group builds its first hydroelectric power plant. The Correntina HPP was installed at the border between Bahia and Goiás.
The first project for Petrobras was completed: the finalization of the Catu-Candeias Oil Pipeline project, in Bahia, designed to transport oil extracted from the new Catu field at the Mataripe Refinery.
The first project for Petrobras was completed: the finalization of the Catu-Candeias Oil Pipeline project, in Bahia, designed to transport oil extracted from the new Catu field at the Mataripe Refinery.
The Group's original company became a corporation and was named Construtora Norberto Odebrecht S.A. (CNO). Today, the company is called OEC.
Construction of the Castro Alves Theater, in Salvador. The work was finished in 11 months and officially delivered to the State in July, 1958. Following a fire which destroyed the building, the theater was reinaugurated in 1967, also built by Odebrecht.
With the opening of its branch office in Recife, with the stimulus of Sudene, the Group expanded its operations to the Northeast of Brazil.
In 1963, the Group established contracts for a series of projects in Pernambuco: the factories of the companies Willys Overland, Coperbo, Alpargatas Confecções and Tintas Coral do Nordeste.
The Odebrecht Foundation is created with aims of assisting Group team members. Today, its actions are promoted primarily in the Bahia Southern Lowlands and focused on assisting youth.
The Group expands to the Southeast of Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, the Group built the Petrobras main office building, the campus of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Galeão International Airport and the Angra I Thermonuclear Plant.
With the incorporation of the Brazilian Project and Construction Work Company (CBPO) – the company responsible for projects along the main São Paulo highways, such as Imigrantes, Trabalhadores and Castelo Branco –, OEC is entering the segment of hydroelectric power plants and expanding its Engineering and Construction operations in Brazil.
The Odebrecht S.A. holding company is created, for the purpose of preserving its philosophical concepts and defining the direction of its business.
The Group's projects abroad represented about 30% of the contracts on its books.
The Group celebrates its 50th anniversary operating in 21 countries and with 34,000 members.
Through the acquisition of controlling interest in CPC and Salgema, which took place in 1994, also during the National Program of Denationalization, Trikem was formed.
Norberto Odebrecht retires from business and concentrates his efforts as president of the board of trustees of the Odebrecht Foundation. Emílio Odebrecht takes over as chairman of the board of directors of Odebrecht S.A.
Creation of Odebrecht Oil & Gas, through which the Group resumes its investments in offshore drilling.