In 1949, at the age of 17, Arsênio Ferreira da Veiga arrived at the port of Rio de Janeiro, coming from a village in northern Portugal. He was fleeing from political persecutions of the Salazar dictatorship and the compulsory military service in Portuguese colonies.

Settled in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, Arsênio worked as a street vendor, a bus driver, eventually becoming the owner of a bus company. In 1963, he decided to leave the transportation sector and purchased Pedreira Santa Luzia, located in the suburb of Água Santa. This company specialized in granite and crushed stone processing.

With a keen business sense, dedicated entrepreneurship, and a caring attitude towards employees and customers, in the following decades, Arsênio witnessed the growth of his company, which was renamed Materiais de Construção Santa Luzia. It became a major player in the stone aggregates market in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1997, with the inauguration of the Yellow Line, Arsênio decided to invest in the construction sector. He founded Nova Santa Luzia Engenharia (now Santa Luzia Engenharia e Construções), focusing on public and private construction projects in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Starting from 1999, after completing significant infrastructure projects in Rio de Janeiro, such as the construction of the Port of Itaguaí and the Metropolitan Arch, and the expansion of the Rio-Santos Highway, Arsênio recognized new opportunities in the mining sector. In response, he relocated his companies to a 10 million square meter area in the municipality of Itaguaí, where he could strategically position his businesses. He also changed the name of his stone aggregates company to Mineração Santa Luzia.

In the following years, aiming to expand business and offer greater efficiency and competitive prices to customers, he invested in creating two more companies – one for ready-mixed concrete production and another for mortar manufacturing. Thus, the Santa Luzia Group was born.

An embodiment of entrepreneurial spirit and integrity, admired by employees, and respected by suppliers and customers, Mr. Arsênio passed away in 2012 at the age of 80, leaving behind fond memories among his family and collaborators.

Carrying the qualities of its founder in its DNA, today the Santa Luzia Group is a holding company that manages 12 businesses in the construction and infrastructure sectors. It continues to grow, face challenges, generate employment, and contribute to the modernization of the regions where it operates.