History
A story built generation after generation.
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AMÉRICO DUARTE PAIXÃO, LDA.
A company with tradition.
Our story... where it all began.
The history of Américo Duarte Paixão, Lda. dates back to the early 1940s in the village of Vale da Trave, parish of Alcanede, municipality of Santarém.
It originated with Mrs. Celeste Emília da Conceição, who used to go through the fields to collect the plants that grew spontaneously in the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park (PNSAC).
He also dried, selected, and stored the plants so he could later sell them to the Old Herbalist of Anunciada in Lisbon. At that time, through an exporter from Lisbon and another from Porto, the supply of large quantities of rosemary leaves began. This was the beginning of a prosperous commercial relationship, with up to 100 tons harvested per year, destined for the United States of America.
From the 1960s onwards, with the entry of his son-in-law Américo Duarte Paixão, the business became family-run, investing in improved transport and telecommunications conditions. By 1980, with the arrival of a new family generation, the import and export of products had developed. Thus, this company was the first in Portugal to initiate direct commercial relations with India. In addition to the USA, the first exports were also to the United Kingdom, beginning an increasingly marked progress that allowed expansion to other countries, such as Germany, Spain, France, and Angola. Given the renewed interest in phytotherapy, along with the increase in scientific research on medicinal plants in Portugal, the restructuring and modernization of the company Américo Duarte Paixão, Lda. was implemented in 2006.
From Vale da Trave to the world
In the 1960s, the arrival of Américo Duarte Paixão, Dona Celeste's son-in-law, marked a new stage. The business reinforced its family character, transportation and communication conditions were improved, and the foundations for continued growth were laid.
In 1980, the arrival of a new generation brought an even more international vision. Import and export areas were developed, and the company became a pioneer in Portugal by establishing direct commercial relations with India. The United States and the United Kingdom were joined by markets such as Germany, Spain, France, and Angola.
Growth also brought new demands. In 2006, Américo Duarte Paixão, Lda. began a profound modernization process, with new infrastructure, implementation of the HACCP system and new quality procedures, achieving Quality Certification from Bureau Veritas, according to the ISO 9001 standard.
The tradition remained. The way of working evolved.
Almost nine decades later, we're still here.
Today, Américo Duarte Paixão, Lda. continues to operate in Vale da Trave, within the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park. In what is known as the "Land of Herbalists," we maintain a vibrant relationship with plants and nature built over several generations.
The knowledge passed down through time is now combined with qualified professionals, modern processes, and high quality standards. From here, we continue to select, transform, handle, and package plants for clients in Portugal and various international markets.
The means have changed, markets have grown, and demands have evolved. But the principles that were at our origin remain: rigor, quality, trust, and respect for nature.
Nearly nine decades later, we remain connected to the place where it all began.
From Vale da Trave to the world, with roots that span generations.
OUR ESSENCE
Mission, vision, and values that guide our path.
Our mission is to offer high-quality natural solutions, promoting well-being and health through medicinal and aromatic plants, with rigorous service focused on customer satisfaction. Our vision is to be a national and international benchmark in the medicinal and aromatic plant sector, recognized for the quality of our products, the relationship of trust we build with our clients, and our commitment to sustainability and respect for nature. We guide our activity by values such as tradition, quality, rigor, trust, respect for nature and people, innovation, and continuous improvement—principles that are present in our decisions and in the daily work of our team.
What we believe in
Quality, workmanship, and attention to detail make all the difference.
This is how we honor nature and those who trust in us.
Our services
Upon receipt of raw materials at the warehouse, their organoleptic properties, weight, and moisture content are checked. Acceptance or rejection of batches depends on compliance with the required quality standards.
Depending on the type of order, the raw material may proceed to cutting, grinding, or directly to fumigation, which is a fumigation method carried out in a confined environment isolated from other substances. At the end of this operation, the raw material goes to the warehouse, where it is stored in the semi-finished product zone.
The manual selection of raw materials is a step that cuts across the entire production system and, despite metal detection being carried out in the packaging rooms, magnetic devices are used to perform surface scanning on the sorting table. This ensures that all particles foreign to the processed raw material are rejected, so as not to compromise the quality and safety of the product when consumed.
