15 years of MSTR

More than a giant in commerce, engineering and construction, MSTR is a family. The company, made up of Angolan and foreign capital, began its activity in public construction and earthmoving 15 years ago. The secret to its consistency lies in the values intrinsic to the company. Ingenuity, Truth and Commitment. Always with its eyes on the Future, on Diversification and Innovation. This is what Rafaela Pinto, manager, and António Silva, engineer and production director, tell us all about. Two of the faces that represent this company whose proven track record in construction is more than evident. And it all started with the dream of two brothers who have become an inspiration for over 370 workers.

Founded in 2008, MSTR is a product of the dream and the work of Duarte Seixas Pinto and Luís Mário Seixas Pinto, two brothers whose passion for construction began when they were still young, more than 30 years ago. The majority of the group’s shareholder structure is made up of the Seixas Pinto family, which holds a prominent position in Portugal in various sectors of the economy. The company is based in the province of Bié in Angola, where most of its operations are located, and also has branches in the cities of Huambo and Luanda. Today it is also involved in other economic activities, such as quarrying, pre-fabricated products, concrete and bituminous production, metalworking, carpentry, catering, hotel management, mechanics and transport.

«We always strive to be an increasingly strong and innovative player in the construction sector»  

Although the construction of this path may seem to have begun only yesterday, the reality is that 15 years have passed since the company chose Angola to continue to carry out large projects in the area of civil construction, seeking to grow even more. A journey that has been marked by success, with 211 projects and 371 employees.
Rafaela Pinto, manager and general director, has this to say: «We arrived here proudly, because even the difficult days have been rewarding. Today we are sure that we are ready for a challenging future.» For those out in the field, the work is challenging but rewarding. «Although we have our administrative facilities in Luanda, and an operational centre in Huambo, it is in Bié, in the heart of Angola, that we feel good about keeping our ‘main home’ to do what we know best – connecting roads and people all over the country.» And this is how, from day one, they have worked towards consolidating a position of prominence and trust for the national market. «We always strive to be an increasingly strong and innovative player in the construction sector.» And this has in fact been the case.

 MSTR - Comércio, Engenharia e Construção, Lda, a 100% Angolan company, has a comprehensive portfolio of clients in the field of service provision and equipment rental, and is a privileged partner in the execution of large-scale contract works throughout the Angolan territory. Achieving this position was a journey made without complacency, with the company always striving to be at the forefront of construction techniques, combining efficiency and sustainability. «Today we can’t do anything else but excellence,» says Rafaela Pinto. «Our main focus of operation is road connections, having executed numerous duplication, implantation and restoration/maintenance works throughout our history, including common and special engineering structures. This is a very important area for the development of Angola and therefore we are always very mindful in each project of our socio-cultural responsibility with Angola and the Angolans, which we have always fulfilled and with great pride,» she assures us.
Today, Rafaela Pinto continues, «we are very happy with the current 82% growth, achieved in 2022.» This year, in terms of works in progress, highlights include the paving of the roads in the Municipality of Chitembo and also others to be started, such as the paving of secondary and tertiary roads in Cuíto.

 It is therefore irrefutable that MSTR is a good ambassador for the country in this sector.And the engineer António Silva, director of production, confirms this: «MSTR is committed to demonstrate on a daily basis that in Angola you can build well, with quality and with the required speed. The works carried out so far are proof of that. Its social and environmental concern and the real effectiveness of its projects are clear. Therefore, yes, it is definitely a great example to follow in the construction sector.»

«MSTR is committed to demonstrate on a daily basis that in Angola it is possible to build well, with quality and with the required speed»

Engineer António Silva has been with the company from the very first moment, and has seen in situ that, little by little, MSTR has been an important agent in the training of the country’s workforce and also in filling gaps. Quarrying, prefabricated products, concrete and bituminous manufacture, metalworking, carpentry, catering, hotel management, mechanics, transport, among others. All areas of MSTR’s business that have emerged to fill gaps in the market. «Unfortunately, we are unable to deny that a large part of the company’s current business has arisen due to a lack of suppliers for some of these areas or even the evidence of poor quality. Hence the need to expand our direct operating capacities, so that we no longer need to resort to other companies. Today we are the main distributors of these materials in the centre of the country, especially concrete and tarmac,» says the production director.
In the end, the obvious happens. The results translate this success, the engineer points out.
«Assuredly, whenever we finish any project and whenever it is accomplished with quality, speed and with results that please the end client, we are sure that new projects will arise, because the best publicity for the following projects is the work that has previously been carried out successfully.»
Rafaela Pinto shares the same opinion. «We are proud of all the projects done so far, and what we can learn from the success and credibility is that the client will come back whenever we give them not only the guarantee of good project execution, but also raw materials of extreme quality and results sometimes even better than expected.» Even if, as the engineer says, sometimes the quote is actually higher than that of the competition: «The client can be sure of a quality project, with the best solutions and always carried out within the expected time frame.»
It is clear that in 15 years the company has changed the country and is becoming a bigger family every day. This «affection» that the employees show comes from the close relationships with the management, who interact with the workers, guiding and advising, «to achieve our goals, meaning that with both Mr. Duarte Pinto, and Mr. Luís Pinto, it has always been very easy to absorb the wisdom that comes from their experience,» illustrates the engineer.