Tribute paid to the founder of the Mota-Engil Group at Celorico de Basto

Manuel António da Mota, the founder of the Mota-Engil Group, was honoured in the land of his birth, on the date when he was born 101 years ago

The founder of the Mota-Engil Group, Manuel António da Mota, received a posthumous tribute on the part of the Municipality of Celorico de Basto on June 8 in the parish of Codeçoso, the land of his birth. The tribute consisted of a mass in the church of Santo André where the ceremony followed for the attachment of his name to the Codeçoso Social Centre which will now be known as Centro Social Manuel António da Mota, and the unveiling of his statue in the gardens of the social support institution which bears his name.

 In an emotional speech, António Mota who is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Group, expressed his thanks for the tribute to his father, recalled some of the lessons learned from him and the supportive spirit of Manuel António da Mota who helped in the creation of untold numbers of jobs.

Present at the ceremony also were Manuel António da Mota’s three daughters, also principal shareholders in the Mota-Engil Group, the secretary of State for Support and Social Security, Agostinho Branquinho, the mayor of Celorico de Basto, Joaquim Mota e Silva, and the Archbishop of Braga, Jorge Ortiga.