The entrepreneur Jaimes Almeida Junior, founder and CEO of the Almeida Junior Group, was honored with the title of Honorary Citizen of São José. The honor takes into account the contribution of personalities from the most different areas to the development of the city and is part of the celebrations for the city’s anniversary, which is turning 273 years old. The title ceremony was held on the 16th, in a solemn session at the Adolpho Mello Theater, in the São José’s Historic Center. Governor Jorginho Mello was also honored.
Almeida Junior’s CEO spoke on behalf of all the honorees. “I am very happy and honored to receive the title of honorary citizen of San Jose, this pulsating and enterprising city. We congratulate São José for these 273 years of a history so rich in development and evolution, we thank once again for the beautiful tribute and I also congratulate the other recipients of the title who contributed so much to the development of São José”, Jaimes highlighted.
Jaimes Almeida Junior, from Santa Catarina, started his trajectory as an entrepreneur very early. He founded Almeida Junior in 1980, and in the 1990s began investing in the shopping mall industry, and it has not stopped growing, and today there are six shopping malls in the most important regions of Santa Catarina. Almeida Junior is the leader in the shopping mall segment in southern Brazil, with a 71% market share.
In 2012, it opened Continente Shopping in São José, the largest mall in Santa Catarina. The mall quickly consolidated itself as a qualified shopping and leisure center in the region, providing a new dynamic to the commerce and service sectors and generating thousands of direct and indirect jobs. “Continente Shopping has a partnership relationship with the city, in countless actions. There has been a transformation in the entire surroundings of the mall. Entrepreneurship is fundamental for growth and actions like this should be recognized”, councilman Mauro Fiscal highlighted.
“Continente Shopping has been part of the history of São José for almost 11 years, has brought in stores from qualified national chains, and has consolidated itself as the largest entertainment and gastronomy center for families and a major driver for the development of the region, in addition to its great social contribution in generating more than two thousand direct jobs and being a major contributor to the city’s coffers,” added honoree Jaimes Almeida Junior.
