Our journey began on March 31, 1962, in the Guarapuava region. Initially, we operated as a sawmill serving the national timber market, and soon after, we started the implementation of the mechanical pulp mill

In the early 1970s, a new cycle began. The transformation process started with São Manoel Forestry Company, where we planted our first pine seedlings, followed by the construction of the São Pedro Plant, which was designed to supply Santa Maria’s first paper machine. This project helped to address the precarious access to electrical energy in the region.

The paper factory could not be built in any area. The site needed to have a river that ensured the necessary water supply for production, as well as being spacious enough for future factory expansion. In January 1972, we found a location that suited our requirements. It was located on the banks of the Rio Coutinho, 23 kilometers from the city of Guarapuava.

Ten months after we began assembling Paper Machine I, São Pedro Plant began operation. On February 21, 1974, the paper machine was put into operation for the first time. At exactly 4 p.m., the first sheets of paper from Santa Maria were produced. The company would eventually feature more than ten types of paper in its portfolio.

After years of work, we gained a foothold in the national paper market, and in the early 1980s, we began expanding sales worldwide, starting with Europe and the Middle East.

We wanted to expand the range of Santa Maria papers on the market. So, we soon acquired Paper Machine II. The assembly began in December 1981 with the laying of the tracks, and by December 1982, the first sellable paper was produced. Together with the new machine, the Curucaca Plant, responsible for maintaining Santa Maria’s energy self-sufficiency, came into operation.

In 1982, we decided to diversify our investments and expand the agricultural activities that had been carried out timidly since the 1980s. At the beginning of the 1990s, we started growing grains. We bought farms to plant soybeans, corn, and wheat, and later in 2002 we built a silo to optimize the agricultural sector with a storage capacity of 36,000 tons. We also continued to expand our forestry business.

São Manoel Forestry Company manages approximately 12,000 hectares of planted forests and permanent preservation areas, spread across 14 municipalities. All of our products are FSC® certified. Forest management follows rules that respect the environment and current legislation, adopting sustainable and economically viable practices.

With Três Capões Agronegócios, we operate in the agricultural sector. Our farms produce soybeans, corn, wheat, beans, pre-drying, and silage. Annual production is 45,000 tons, with storage capacity in our own silos. In 2014, Globo Rural magazine presented Santa Maria’s Três Capões farm as the most sustainable in the country in the annual crops category.

A brand is a representation of its values, but it also represents a snapshot of the moment. When new plans and perspectives appear on the horizon, the brand must represent them and carry these values with it. In 2022, we developed the new brand for Santa Maria Group and its business areas of paper, energy, agribusiness, forestry, and services.

Santa Maria Energia provides the Group with energy self-sufficiency, with potential to generate 40 MW/h, which is enough to power a city of around 180,000 inhabitants. The generating units are located on the Rio Jordão in Guarapuava and adhere to socio-environmental responsibility standards, producing clean and renewable energy.