LISBON Reuters -- Rui Nabeiro, founder of Portugal's largest roasted coffee retailer Delta Cafes and one of the country's top entrepreneurs, has died at the age of 91, the company said on Sunday.
In 1961, Nabeiro, who died due to breathing problems in a hospital in Lisbon, founded Delta Cafes in his hometown of Campo Maior, Alentejo, starting with a small warehouse that roasted only 30 kilos of coffee per day.
He always reinvested profits in innovation to grow his family business, and the Delta Cafe now roasts 100 tons daily.
The company's sales, through retail and foodservice channels, increased by 12% to 460 million euros in 2022, with more than 25% being exported to around 40 countries.
Nabeiro, a self-made man from humble background, was a socialist and implemented what he called solidarity capitalism in his companies, helping his employees, their families and the community when they were in need.
Economy Minister Antonio Costa Silva said in a statement that Nabeiro was a businessman with a very advanced strategic vision, combining the ability to create wealth with the assumption of social responsibility towards employees and the surrounding community.