1837-1877

1837

How it all began

Created in 1837 in Salvador (BA), Wilson Sons focuses on the trade of coal, goods in general and navigation services. Initially, the brand was associated with the names of its founders, the brothers Edward and Fleetwood Pellew Wilson.

From the 1840s, the Pellew Wilson brothers established important partnerships with other great entrepreneurs. The partnership with David Cooper Scott gives rise to Wilson Scott & Co., in Bahia, Scott Hett & Co., in Rio de Janeiro, Scott Wilson & Co., in Pernambuco, and Wilson Scott Hett and Co., in London.

1862

The End of the Society with David Cooper Scott

Wilson Hett & Co. succeeds Wilson Scott & Co. in Bahia, Hett Wilson & Co. takes over from Scott Hett & Co. in Rio de Janeiro, Wilson & Hett replaces Scott Wilson & Co. in Pernambuco, and Wilson Hett Lane and Co. succeeds Wilson Scott Hett and Co. In London.

1867

The inauguration of the Commerce Drydock

The ceremony was held on November 25, 1867, on Mocanguê Island, Niterói (RJ), and was attended by the Portuguese Royal Family. In addition to Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina, the event was attended by Princess Isabel, Count d'Eu, Admiral Tamandaré, and the Ministers of War, Navy, Agriculture and Justice, among other authorities. Thirteen years later, in 1890, the drydock was sold to Lloyd Brasileiro.

1871

The End of the Society with Edmund Sykes Hett

Wilson Hett & Co., in Bahia, Hett Wilson & Co., in Rio de Janeiro, Wilson & Hett, in Pernambuco, D. Cooper Scott, in London, Scott Yarrow & Co., in Montevideo are dissolved as well as Wilson Hett Yarrow & Co., in Liverpool. The company operates through Wilson & Co., in Bahia, E.P. Wilson & Co., in Rio de Janeiro, Wilson Rowe & Co., in Pernambuco, Wilson Sons & Co., in London, Yarrow Hett & Co., in Montevideo, and Hett Yarrow & Co., in Liverpool.

1878-1913

Brand unification. Branch openings. Railway Construction. The turn of the century brought Wilson Sons a number of novelties, including participating in the Japanese immigration to Brazil.

1878

The first Brand Unification

Wilson Sons celebrates the  first unification of brands in its history. The businesses developed in the provinces of Bahia, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro will now operate under the “Wilson Sons & Co. Limited.”. A handwritten letter from the Emperor authorizes its operation in Brazil.

1879

The construction of railroads in Brazil

Wilson Sons starts the construction of the Railway from Recife to Limoeiro (PE), by the Great Western of Brazil Railway Company Limited. On October 24th, 1881, the first two sections of railway were inaugurated. In 1880, the company signs a contract with The Count d'Eu Railway Company Limited and begins the construction of a railway in Paraíba. Three years later, the 75 km section of the railroad was inaugurated.

1885

Arriving in the heart of São Paulo

Creation of the Santos (SP) branch. Eleven years later, Wilson Sons opened another office in São Paulo (SP). Initially the company turned to the coal trade and years later it developed a thriving trade in general goods.

1898

Docking of Bento Gonçalves Torpedo Boat

Acquired by the Brazilian government from Germany in 1893, the torpedo boat was 46.5 meters long, 2.5 meters deep and equipped with 2 cannons, 10 rifles, 12 revolvers and 3 torpedo tubes. After undergoing repairs at the Wilson Sons Shipyard in Rio de Janeiro, the Bento Gonçalves torpedo boat was launched on July 21, 1898, in the presence of the Minister of the Navy and the Chief of Staff.

1907

Merger with Ocean Coal Company

The Ocean Coal Company owns eight coal mines and employs over 10,000 people in Wales. In this context, Wilson Sons had already established itself as an important supplier of coal for the main railways, steamships and Naval Yards in Brazil.

1908

Shipping Agency of the Kasato Maru

The vessel berthed at the Port of Santos on June 18th, 1908, bringing 781 Japanese immigrants to Brazil. A crew of about 91 and just over two dozen passengers were also on board.

1911

Expansion of the tug fleet

The beginning of the expansion of Wilson Sons tugboat and barge fleet took place through the signing of a contract with the Rio de Janeiro Lighterage Company. In the 1930s, Wilson Sons took full control of company.

1914-1957

A period of change for Wilson Sons. In addition to opening new branches, spread across strategic regions of the country, the company also renewed its look and acquired new companies.

1915

Creation of the Rio Grande (RS) branch

After setting up its first branch in the South of the country, in Rio Grande (RS), Wilson Sons expanded to Porto Alegre, which became the main office for the South region in 1921. The company developed import coal and general goods trades and shipping services.

1921

Quest docking

In November 1921, Wilson Sons received an unusual visitor at its shipyard: the illustrious Ernest Shackleton, a British man known worldwide for his expeditions to Antarctica. In a book published in1923, Captain Frank Wild states that the company carried out extensive repairs to the Quest's engine, quickly and efficiently. In addition, Wilson Sons donated 100 tons of coal for her to continue her journey.

1922

Brand Evolution

Wilson Sons adopts a diamond-shaped logo with the word “Wilson” written inside.

1942

Creation of the Vitória (ES) Branch

Initially, Wilson Sons carried out general goods trading and shipping agency activities. After signing a contract with Celulose Nipo-Brasileira - CENIBRA, in 1977, the Vitória branch expanded and began to carry out the loading of woodpulp for export. The subsidiary was also responsible for loading of USIMINAS, Açominas and CST steel products.

1958-1980

The second half of the 20th century brought a wide expansion not only of Wilson Sons' business units, but also of its portfolio of products and services. Participation in projects on a national scale validated the company's impact and the market's confidence in its operations.

1958

The Beginning of the Salomon Era

Sir Walter Salomon invests in Brazil and acquires a controlling interest in Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd., through the Scottish and Mercantile Investment Trust, which later became known as Hansa Investment Company Ltd.

1964

New expansion of the tug fleet

Rio de Janeiro Lighterage Company Limited transfers its headquarters to the city of Rio de Janeiro and is renamed Companhia de Saveiros do Rio de Janeiro. Nine years later, in 1973, it incorporated Serviços Marítimos Camuyrano S/A and had its name changed to Saveiros Camuyrano Serviços Marítimos S/A

1973

Rio-Niterói Bridge Operation

Saveiros Camuyrano Serviços Marítimos S/A carries out the towing of the barges that transported the metal parts of the central span of the Rio-Niterói Bridge. The structures measured about 292 meters in length and weighed 2400 tons. Tugboats Walsa, Uranus, São Pedro, Ajax and Audaz participated in this complex operation.

1974

The Guarujá Shipyard enters into operation

The Guarujá Shipyard was acquired in 1973, after the expropriation of the former Itapema Shipyard, where Wilson Sons tugboats were maintained. The new shipyard had a larger area, covering 23,000 square meters, and had the capacity to dock vessels of up to 3,000 deadweight tons, being able to service up to three medium-sized vessels simultaneously.

1977

Logistic solutions for the Oil & Gas Industry

On November 1, 1977, Wilson Sons began supplying special tubes, chemicals and various equipments to support oil exploration activities in the Santos Basin. This initiative was developed through a joint venture with the English company Ocean Inchcape Limited (OIL).

1981-2006

It was at the end of the 20th century that the pioneering spirit of Wilson Sons — present since its foundation — began to be recognized on a wider scale. A period marked by the transformation of the national port sector.

1981

Brand Evolution

For the first time in its history, the Wilson Sons logo is associated with ocean waves. The construction of the new brand started with a module repeated in series and inverted seven times to form the initials “W” and “S”. The module represented the company, which multiplies itself through its businesses, and these are interconnected in a single company and connected for a single purpose. The new brand conveyed a solid image of an expanding company, which combined tradition and dynamism.

Inauguration of the Belém (PA) Branch

A cocktail party celebrated in May 1981, in the halls of the Clube Conjunto Paraense, marked the beginning of operations at the Belém branch. The event brought together exporters and public authorities. That same month, the branch carried out, in partnership with the branch in Manaus, the attendance of the ship “Junior Longo”, which transported 3 thousand tons of equipment for the cement factory of the João Santos Group, located in Barreirinha, in Amazonas. In 1982, Wilson Sons was again responsible for the shipping agency and stevedoring of the ship that transported the second part of the equipment.

1982

Docking of the Professor W. Besnard ship

The vessel from the USP Oceanographic Institute underwent an extensive overhaul and, on December 20th, 1982, it went on the first Brazilian scientific expedition to Antarctica. Professor W. Besnard left the port of Santos escorted by the tugboats Phoenix and Neptune, from the Wilson Sons fleet. After the success of the voyage, the company received thanks from the Oceanographic Institute of USP for the effective operational assistance provided to the ship and the then manager of the Santos Branch, Mr. Cláudio Marote, was honored with the diploma of honorary crew member from Professor W. Besnard.

1985
Creation of the Servedoce Consortium

On July 31, 1985, one of Wilson Sons’ towage company named Sobrare Servemar and Vale do Rio Doce formed Servedoce, a company dedicated to providing towage services in the Port of Ponta da Madeira. The consortium was created at the suggestion of the National Merchant Marine Superintendence – SUNAMAN, which did not want the Carajás Mine Project towage service to be nationalized. The first vessel attended by Servedoce tugboats was the M/V “Docepolo”.

Creation of the Servedoce Consortium

On July 31, 1985, one of Wilson Sons’ towage company named Sobrare Servemar and Vale do Rio Doce formed Servedoce, a company dedicated to providing towage services in the Port of Ponta da Madeira. The consortium was created at the suggestion of the National Merchant Marine Superintendence – SUNAMAN, which did not want the Carajás Mine Project towage service to be nationalized. The first vessel attended by Servedoce tugboats was the M/V “Docepolo”.

1994

The start of shipbuilding for third parties

In December 1994, Wilson Sons wins the tender for the construction of 8 buoy maintenance craft for the Brazilian Navy. Subsequently, the contract received an amendment and this number was increased to 10 units. The performance of the Guarujá Shipyard allowed the construction of 10 buoy maintenance craft within the same period originally contracted for the construction of the 8.

The delivery ceremony of Achernar, the 1st in the series, was held on December 20th, 1995, and the delivery of Vega, the 10th boat, took place on September 29th, 1997.

1997

Lease of Tecon Rio Grande

The terminal was the first in the country to be privatized. The lease contract was signed on February 3rd, 1997, by the consortium formed by Wilson Sons, the construction company Serveng Civilsan and Banco Fator. The ceremony was attended by the Ministers of Transport and Planning, and the then governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The lifting of the first container, on the Mitsui OSK Lines vessel “Deike Rickmers”, on March 1st, 1997, marked the start of operations at the Terminal, which had 300 meters of quayside and a total area of 670,000 m².

1998

Inauguration of EADI Santo André

The inauguration ceremony of the Interior Customs Station - EADI Santo André gathered around 300 executives and representatives of the Logistics sector, from Brazil and abroad, on October 27th, 1998. The unit had a total area of 92,000 square meters, with around 25,000 square meters dedicated to the warehouse.

1999

Creation of Brasco Logística Offshore

The new business unit began operations in December 1999, providing logistical support to Santa Fe Petroleum, which had just started drilling in the Caraúna field, close to Fortaleza. On August 20, 2003, the Niterói Base was inaugurated, on Ilha da Conceição, Niterói (RJ). With a privileged location and a total area of 104 thousand square meters, of which 3.15 thousand square meters are covered, Niterói Base focused on meeting the demands of the Campos and Santos Basins.

Lease of Tecon Salvador

The privatization auction was held on December 21st, 1999, at the Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange (BVRJ).  Wilson Sons, through Wilport Operadores Portuários, was the only qualified company that had its financial guarantees approved. The signing of the lease agreement was carried out on March 15th, 2000, at Companhia das Docas da Bahia. On the same day, now under the management of Wilson Sons, the Tecon Salvador attended the M/V “Santos Challenger”.

2000

Inauguration of the 2nd berth of Tecon Rio Grande

The second berth at Tecon Rio Grande was inaugurated with the first simultaneous operation with two ships, on February 11th, 2000. “P&O Nedlloyd Houston”, which operates on the Caribbean - Gulf of Mexico traffic, was on berth 1, and “Transroll Argentina”, which operates on the American East Coast, was on berth 2. Altogether, 384 and 341 containers were moved, respectively.

2003

Baptism of the 1st PSV of the Wilson Sons fleet

The Guarujá Shipyard christens the PSV “Saveiros Albatroz”, the first of the Wilson Sons offshore support vessel fleet, in a ceremony celebrated on March 12th, 2003, at Espaço Cultural da Marinha, in Rio de Janeiro. PSV's sponsor was Mrs. Clóris de Barros Dutra, mother of the then president of Petrobras, José Eduardo Dutra. Measuring 72 meters in length, 16 meters in width and 6 meters draft, the vessel has the capacity to transport around 3,000 tons.

2004

Performance Award

Tecon Rio Grande and Tecon Salvador win the Instituto Miguel Calmon - IMIC Performance Award  in November 2004. Tecon Rio Grande was recognized as the “Best in Brazil” and Tecon Salvador as the “Best in the Northeast”, both in the Transport and Storage category. Tecon Salvador was also recognized as the largest company in Bahia. This was an important step in relation to the previous year, when the two Terminals ranked 5th in the best company in Brazil and best in the Northeast categories.

2007-2019

It was in 2007 that Wilson Sons went public on the Bovespa and, since then, a sea of opportunities and achievements has followed. The company's operational capacity took an even greater leap, and was also recognized with previously unheard-of awards for the company.

2007

IPO on Bovespa

The initiative resulted from the governance model adopted by Wilson Sons since 2001, which aimed to raise the company to a new level in the market and increase investments in new assets.

Criando Laços is born

The initiative is the result of the desire of employees to contribute and engage in socio-cultural activities, with a focus on communities located in the areas of influence of Wilson Sons operations. The Corporate Volunteer Program, entitled Criando Laços (Creating Ties), aims to encourage and support voluntary social actions in the company's assets throughout the country. The first action of the Program was developed in partnership with the NGO Viva São Gonçalo, in September 2007, in Jardim Catarina neighborhood.

2008

Inauguration of the 3rd berth of Tecon Rio Grande

With the addition of 250 meters, the Terminal now has a total quay length of 850m.

Expansion of the Niterói Base

The works included the expansion of the third pier, the inauguration of the administrative building and a new warehouse. A Waste Collection Center was also created, responsible for processing, separating and disposing of waste from oil and gas platforms for recycling. The Guaxindiba Base, located in São Gonçalo, was transformed into an operational area, dedicating its more than 100 thousand m² to the stock of parts for platforms.

2009

Entry into the Global Compact

Wilson Sons is one of the first companies in its field of activity in the country to become a signatory of the Global Compact, an United Nations -UN implementation that mobilizes the international business community for the adoption of fundamental and internationally accepted values, and that defends ten principles that are based on four fronts of action: Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption. Wilson Sons is committed to following these principles in its day-to-day operations.

2010

Creation of Wilson Sons Ultratug Offshore

The process of creating a joint venture with the company Magallanes Navegação Brasileira S. A., which belongs to the Ultratug group, headquartered in Chile, began in 2009 and was completed in May 2010. This partnership aimed to maximize Wilson Sons' expertise in operating more sophisticated vessels and expand its fleet of PSVs, generating greater use of opportunities for the Brazilian Oil & Gas Industry.

2011

Institution of the WS+ Program

Committed to the safety of its employees and environmental protection, Wilson Sons begins the implementation of a program aimed at transforming culture into HSE, namely “WS+”. The initiative was implemented at the Shipyard in 2011, and in 2014 it had already reached all of the company's businesses. The creation of WS+ was accompanied by the structuring of a formal HSE agenda with the Executive Committee to address HSE-related matters on a monthly basis. In 2012, the Program won 1st place in the Dupont Awards, in the Occupational Health and Safety Management category, with the case of the implementation of WS+ at the Guarujá Shipyard.

COR comes into operation

The pilot project started in 2009 with the study of the technology to be used. The chosen software has VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) functionality. Upon entering into operation, the Tugboat Operation Centre – COR started to monitor Wilson Sons tugboats in the Ports of Santos and São Sebastião (SP). Four years later, the Centre already monitored 100% of the fleet.

Naval Quality and Sustainability Award

Wilson Sons is recognized by the Naval Quality and Sustainability Award (PNQS), an initiative by SINAVAL and Fundação ARO, for the development of a corporate management and sustainability project with increased productivity.

Petrobras Recognition

Wilson Sons is honored by Petrobras' Responsible Partnership Program (PPR). The Tugboat business unit was highlighted in the “Operational Services” category during a ceremony held at the Petrobras headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

2012

Inauguration of the Tecon Salvador Connection Pier

With a length of 240 meters and a draft of 12 meters, the new pier is part of the expansion work started in September 2010 and will be used to berth smaller vessels. A 40-foot container, from BR Foods, which was on board the M/V “Maestra Mediterrâneo” was the first to be unloaded in the new area. This was the first time, after the start of the work, that Tecon Salvador simultaneously operated two container ships: one at the Connection Pier and the other at the Água de Meninos Pier. The expansion of the terminal was completed in November 2012, and added an area of 44 thousand square meters, totaling 118 thousand square meters.

Expansion of ICS Santo André

With the completion of the expansion, the Santo André Interior Customs Station gained 10,800m² of warehouse and 7,000m² of bonded yard, totaling a fully bonded area of 92,000 m². The initiative aims to maintain ICS Santo André's leadership in the ranking of Dry Ports that are under the jurisdiction of the São Paulo Customs. Also in 2012, Wilson Sons also inaugurated the São Paulo Logistics Center, in Itapevi, with the aim of integrating the entire logistics chain and bringing complete solutions to its customers. The following year, the company took another important step by implementing the Suape Logistics Center in Pernambuco.

2013

Inauguration of the Guarujá II Shipyard

With the conclusion of the works, the capacity of the Shipyard division more than doubled, going from 4,500 tons of steel processed a year to 10,000 tons.

Acquisition of Briclog

The purchase process for Bric Brazilian Intermodal Complex S/A began on June 2, 2011, through Brasco Logística Offshore Ltda, and was completed on July 2nd, 2013. The support base for the Oil and Gas industry was then renamed Brasco Caju and, later, Base Rio de Janeiro.

Companies that Best Communicate with Journalists Award

Wilson Sons receives the “Companies that Best Communicate with Journalists Award” during a ceremony held by Revista Negócios da Comunicação and by the Centre for Communication Studies – CECOM, in São Paulo, on September 17th, 2013. The company was recognized in the Naval Construction category through a broad vote that included the participation of 25,000 journalists. In 2014 and 2015 Wilson Sons was also awarded in this category.

2014

Top Socioenvironmental and HR Award

Wilson Sons receives the "Top Socioenvironmental and HR Award 2014", from the Pernambuco Association of Sales and Marketing Directors (ADVB-PE), in the Environment category, for the development of the "Pernambuco Artificial Shipwreck Park Project". The award ceremony was held on May 27th, 2014.

2015