The company “Empresa Fabril de Máquinas Eléctricas, S.A.R.L.” is founded with the share capital distributed between Electro-Moderna (20%), ACEC (20%), CUF (45%) and other shareholders (15%).

The newly born company's objective was to carry out the manufacture, sales, installation and repair of electrical and mechanical equipment and all related activities.

The first steps are taken to establish the company's technological and manufacturing capabilities.
Initially dedicated to the production of electric motors, Efacec started manufacturing transformers in 1957.

Between 1966 and 1973, Efacec expanded its industrial premises 2,5 times and its turnover increased 6 times, a growth and expansion that led to the quotation of the Efacec shares on the Lisbon Stock Exchange, in 1969.

In 1973, on the 25th anniversary of the company, Efacec was recognized everywhere as a solid company with strong implementation on the domestic market. It was still in 1973 that Efacec became major shareholder of JORRO, a company manufacturing hydraulic pumps (and which was definitively incorporated in 1979). 

The extension of the industrial premises to manufacture instrument and power transformers as well as the large extension of the electrical motors industrial premises at Maia were also carried out in 1979.
 

In the years 1976 and 1977, the Traction Systems business starts up.

With the exit of the majority shareholder ACEC in 1987, Efacec begins a new phase of its history.
By the end of the 1980s, the first steps are taken on the implementation of an international strategy.

In June of this year, the first affiliated companies entirely owned by Efacec are set up.

Efacec enters a new phase of its international expansion, a fundamental step being the beginning of manufacturing at LIAOYANG Efacec Electrical Equipment, Ltd.. Other joint ventures with local companies in other parts of the world are also set up.

At the end of this year, the guiding principles for a new Efacec Group strategy are approved. The objective of the strategy was to strengthen and consolidate competitiveness through a reorganization in three major areas: EAS (Engineering, Environment and Services), EN (Energy) and Telecommunications, Logistics and Electronics (TLE).

The year was a turning point for the Group with the development of an internal culture more focused on the “synergic value” of the business activities of affiliated companies in value creation and customer orientation.

In quantitative terms, the Group reaches the highest profitability levels ever achieved.

The year of 2003 was one of consolidating the recovery started in 2002, and the preparation of the Sustained Development phase that was to follow. It was the beginning of the longer term development of businesses in the International Area, continuing the focus on target markets and customers, and favoring exports of systems as opposed to the traditional approach of exporting products.

A Shared Services Unit was set up to provide service to the Group. The Innovation Project “EFAinova” was implemented - innovation is considered as a systematic, continuous and sustained process and critical for continuous value creation.

Efacec strengthened its position in the Maintenance Service market by acquiring BRISA Conservação de Infraestruturas, S.A., ATM– Assistência Total em Manutenção, and also the maintenance business of Engimais.

On the 7th October, with the goal of acquiring control of the whole of Efacec Capital, SGPS, S.A., the two main shareholders, the José de Mello Group and Têxtil Manuel Gonçalves, through Tecnoholding, SGPS, S.A., a company jointly owned, launched a public take over bid (TOB) for the share capital of Efacec.

Change in the composition of the Board of Directors in the transition of the years 2006 to 2007.
Set up of Efacec Sistemas de Gestão, S.A.. Design of a new organizational model to respond to the future international expansion demands of the Company, with the creation of ten Business Units (Transformers; High and Medium Voltage Switchgear; Energy Servicing; Engineering; Automation; Maintenance; Environment; Renewable Energies; Transportation; and Logistics) and in seven priority international areas (USA, Latin America, Central Europe, North-West Africa, Southern Africa, India and Spain).

Construction of the Power Transformer Factory in Effingham (Georgia, USA), an investment that will total about 180 million US dollars. Purchase of the ACS - Advanced Control Systems, an Engineering company based in Atlanta (Georgia) that will develop complementary business activities to those of Efacec in the field of Automation and Control.

Inauguration of the new industrial unit of Bauen Efacec, located in Cordoba (Argentina).  Purchase by Efacec do Brasil, of the company Energy Service, Ltda., (Brazil, Recife).  Completion of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Controls & Switchgear, an Indian company, with the goal of carrying out Medium Voltage switchgear business activities.

Integration in the Ventinveste Consortium, which won first place in Phase B of the public tender launched by the Portuguese government for the production of wind energy  (400 MW of installed capacity).  RD&I (Research, Development and Innovation) Certification won by Efacec Sistemas de Electrónica, one of fifteen Portuguese companies to be awarded the certification, in a project coordinated by COTEC and carried out for the first time in Portugal.

Awarding of two important external prizes in the field of Corporative Responsibility: winning first place (jointly with EDP) for the “Most Family Responsible Company”; and an Honorable Mention in the field of economic development, with the award of “Company and Organizational Citizenship”.

Establishment of two Joint Ventures (JV) for medium-voltage production on a worldwide scale, with the Indian group C&S – Control and Switchgear, one of the four largest Indian groups in the area of low-voltage.

Inauguration of the second Bauen Efacec factory in Argentina, in July 2008. This new factory joins the first inaugurated in July 2008. This new factory, together with the first inaugurated in July 2007, is now part of the worldwide manufacturing and distribution network for high and medium-voltage equipment components for Efacec's various assembly centres throughout the world.
First stone ceremony in September 2008 for the new power transformer factory in Effingham, Georgia (USA), a project with an overall value of around 180 million dollars that will create approximately 600 jobs by 2015.

Approval by the Board of Directors, on 30 September 2008, to establish the Indian market as one of Efacec's priority markets, with this region becoming, within the group's organisation, the India Market Unit, joining the six previous regions of this kind.
Establishment of a contracting joint venture, Efacec Contracting Central Europe GmbH, headquartered in Vienna (Austria). This joint venture operates in the area of high-voltage electrotechnical projects for the central and southern European markets, including the Mediterranean zone.

Implementation of a significant organisational change at the start of 2008 in the area of Human Resources Management (HRM), with the exclusive dedication of a team for Strategic Human Resources Management (primarily dedicated to defining overall HRM policies, managerial staff management, talent management and overall international HR management) and another team for operational HRM (primarily dedicated to overall administrative management, management of non-managerial staff and work relations).

Implementation of a vast Cultural Change project, based on four keystones: efaINmotion (aimed at managerial staff),
efaEvolution (aimed at non-managerial staff), International Employee Meeting (“1st Efacec International Meeting”) and efaPI, aimed at adopting English as the company's official language.

Efacec was the first Portuguese company chosen by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) to be visited by 250 individuals under the annual IEEE/PES Power Transformers Committee.
Launch of the “Piloto Colombo Efacec” programme, aimed at encouraging the creation and implementation of ideas promoting productivity.

RD&I certification to the Equipment Business Unit, according to standard 4457:2007, from the Portuguese Certification Association (APCER).
Efacec was the only Portuguese company to participate in a European Space Agency (ESA) project to develop the first electronic instrument completely developed and manufactured in Portugal, qualified by the ESA and by NASA, which began flying in space at the start of 2008, in the loading zone of the space shuttle Atlantis.

Official sponsorship of the inauguration ceremony of the new particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). Efacec was involved in developing the LHC from the outset.

Tribute, by the Matosinhos City Council, to engineers Guilherme Ricca Gonçalves and Rui Gilberto Sabino Marques with medals of honour and the title of honorary citizens of the city Matosinhos. The ceremony has held at Efacec's facilities in Arroteia, with the company's full endorsement of this honorary tribute.

Visit to Efacec's facilities in Arroteia, on 3 December, by the Portuguese President, Dr. Aníbal Cavaco Silva, and the Minister for the Economy and Innovation, Dr. Manuel Pinho, to inaugurate the expansion of this hub's power transformer production unit. This expansion in transformer production capacity entailed an investment of around 30 M€, with the contribution of national and Community funds of around 7.5 M€.

In 2009, Efacec made a substantial advance towards achieving its strategic growth objective in the international market and consolidation in the domestic market through numerous initiatives. The most significant were:

The construction of Efacec Power Transformers Inc., the new Efacec power transformer plant located in Effingham County (Rincon, Georgia, USA). The plant was completed at the end of 2009 and operations began in November of the same year.

A visit to Effingham in December 2009 by the shareholders of Efacec, its Board of Directors and management team was the first joint visit to the new plant.

The continuation of the process necessary to extend Efacec’s operations to the markets selected as priority markets for the company, particularly regarding the future presence of the Renewables business unit in the USA and Transformer business in India.

New developments in the logistics business, also in India, with the acquisition of a majority stake in Godrej by Gearl – Logistics, which means that Efacec now holds 51% of the Joint Venture.

Also in the international arena, the strengthening of Financial Management and Human Resource Management strategies, policies and practices in international subsidiaries and support to expatriate employees of Efacec.  The successful implementation of the BaaN ERP in the India Market Unit. Certifications were obtained for the quality management systems of Efacec Sistemas de España, for the Servicing Unit and for the quality management system of Efacec Central Europe and Efacec Contracting Central Europe.

An area of Strategic Procurement Management was created at the corporate level, with the appointment of a Chief Procurement Officer, one of several measures taken to strengthen the competitiveness of Efacec. This area is responsible for developing strategies and processes in this field. It will develop a global framework for action that cuts across the entire Efacec Group and will operate in an integrated manner with the different purchasing departments of Efacec’s Business Units and the Market Units, which will report by function.

Likewise, with a view to create a Strategic Risk Management area in the second half of 2009, the essential steps were taken with the appointment of a Chief Risk Officer (CRO) .

The completion of the efaINmotion (aimed to management and graduate staff) and efaEvolution (aimed at non-managers or undergraduate staff) projects are pillars of the Cultural Change project initiated in 2008, which basically aims to strengthen and accelerate the process of cultural change in Efacec, based on standards considered relevant to the global market.

Efacec’s participation in the referred to technical consortium for electric mobility in Portugal, as a result of the mobilisation of Portuguese industry on this subject.

Achieving third place in the first ever Sustainable Development Award (2009) presented by Heidrick & Struggles. Efacec was placed among the top five companies awarded, out of a total of 200 competing organisations. This was the first time Efacec had participated in the award, obtaining 84.6% against a multinational average of 81.2% (the category in which Efacec was included).

At the 2nd Innovation Product Awards, sponsored by COTEC and Unicer, Efacec received an honourable mention for its SmartGate solution developed by the Automation Unit. This solution is a LV/MV Transformer Station controller and it is one of the many Efacec solutions helping to reduce the carbon footprint. 

Efacec was recognized with the Iberdrola Suppliers Prize 2009, an international award, with Efacec awarded a prize in the corporate social responsibility category.

The High and Medium Voltage Switchgear Business Unit obtained certification in R&DI according to NP 4457:200 (Portuguese Standard), the first industrial company to achieve this certification in Portugal.

The certification of the quality, environment and safety management system of the Renewables Unit and the certification of the environmental and safety management system of the Transformers Unit was also achieved.

Efacec was chosen as the focus company for the Business Case Competition 2009 of the Lisbon MBA, a joint program of the Economics Faculty of Lisbon’s Nova University and the Economic and Business Sciences Faculty of the Portuguese Catholic University in collaboration with the MIT Sloan School of Management.

The visit to Efacec by EDF – Electricité de France R&D, which included a visit to substations equipped with automation systems with integrated numerical protection according to the IEC 61850 standard, supplied by Efacec.

The Colombo Ideas Awards Ceremony held in the 1st quarter of 2009. The use of an ideas management methodology in Efacec like that existing in Colombo converges with the most innovative currently existing in the world.

Efacec celebrated its sixtieth anniversary in 2008. In order to mark a very important date in the life of the company, Efacec took the necessary steps to publish, at the beginning of 2009, a book that shows its development and which highlights the key points of its 60 years of existence.