Last weekend, December 14, I stood on the cliffs of Nazaré, in Portugal, watching surfers take on the biggest waves in the world.

I remember feeling small.
The ocean was powerful… unpredictable… and honestly, a little frightening.

These waves don’t forgive mistakes.
And yet — people choose to face them.

What moved me most wasn’t just the bravery of the surfers.
It was the trust.

No one paddles into those waves alone.
Behind every surfer is a team — watching the sea, reading the conditions, measuring every detail, communicating constantly… ready to act in a split second if something goes wrong.

Standing there, I realized something:

This is exactly how great things are built

Because April 3rd became one of the most important days in the history of STA Aluminium Components.

Opening our new factory was not just a business milestone.
For me… it was deeply personal.

It represented years of belief, effort, doubt, learning — and above all, people.

When more than 150 customers walked through our doors that day, they didn’t just see a factory.

They felt something.

They were flabbergasted by how we work —
by our team spirit,
by our discipline,
by our pride.

They saw how carefully we measure everything we do — not because we love numbers… but because we care about doing things right.
They saw how we take decisions with courage — even when conditions aren’t perfect.
They saw our flexibility, our ability to adapt and move forward together.

And they saw the result:

A stronger… more productive… more confident STA.

But none of this belongs to machines.
Or buildings.

It belongs to people.

To those who believed when it wasn’t easy.
To those who worked long hours.
To those who solved problems quietly, supported colleagues, and kept going even when the waves felt big.

You are the team on the water.
You are the ones on the jet skis.
You are the ones on the cliffs — watching, protecting, making sure no one is left behind.

Like in Nazaré…

We didn’t conquer the wave alone.

We rode it together.

And now, as the year comes to an end, Christmas gives us something precious.

A moment to stop.
To breathe.
To remember why we do what we do.

Christmas is about warmth in the middle of winter.
Light when the days are shortest.
People standing together — especially when the world feels uncertain.

That… is what I see in STA.

From the bottom of my heart — thank you.

Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for standing together, wave after wave.

May this Christmas bring peace to your homes,
joy to your families,
and the quiet confidence that — whatever waves come next…

We will face them.
Together.

Merry Christmas. 🎄

Eric Van den Bruel

On April 3, 2025, STA Aluminum Components unveiled their new factory in Maia, Portugal, marking a major milestone in their 7-year growth journey!
From a small local producer to a European market leader, STA now supplies some of the biggest names in aluminum door & window systems. Their secret? Putting people first.
The new facility features optimized production flows, Industry 4.0 tech, and a commitment to reducing waste and energy use.

Why STA stands out:
People-first culture: Happy employees = happy customers
Continuous improvement: They always push to "do more with less"
Innovative products: Including their unique antiviral coating, Nanocoat TR, developed during the pandemic.

The event also celebrated STA’s history, from humble beginnings in 1989 to becoming a top supplier of aluminum hardware.

STA’s mission? To innovate, collaborate, and keep delivering top-quality products with a family-first approach.

All families have their traditions and ours is no exception: every summer we get together to celebrate the warm weather and the beginning of a well-deserved rest.
This year, our house was invaded by the spirit of the Far West and no one could remain indifferent to this rodeo.

A saloon that's a saloon, you can't do without good old Western music and food worthy of any Sheriff. Do you think cowboys only venture into arenas? So, you certainly didn't see our colleagues facing the mechanical bull with style and a lot of courage!

In the end, everyone left with a story worthy of note and, most importantly, with a smile on their face.
Until the next party (which is like saying: until the next duel at sunset)!

Like Steve Rogers as Caption America makes life easier for the American Army, Rosa does the same for STA.

Rosa's career is extensive, starting as a trainee at our predecessor Sonafi.

After that, she joined STA in 1990, to be part of the R&D team. As a good communicator that she is, and thanks to her vast knowledge regarding our products, she ended up moving to the Commercial team in 2005. Her know-how is so vast that in 2015, she returned to R&D as Technical Assistant. Currently, she holds the position of Director of the Purchasing Department.

From trainee to Director, can you believe it? But don't think it's easy!

This upward trajectory (which is already 35 years old!) was only possible because Rosa is a perfectionist and detail-oriented and nothing escapes her watchful eye. Accept any challenge with courage and roll up your sleeves at crucial times.

Whenever a question arises about a product, Rosa is the one we should contact, as she is always available to help and has a large database called “memory”. She is an anchor for new family members and excels in her ability to pass on information, as if it were a testimonial, always with enthusiasm and dedication.

Our Rosinha is a confident, professional, and experienced voice. For us, family is our haven.

Tony STArk never stops improving his Iron Man armor, making him faster and more efficient. Here at STA, José Fonseca and Ricardo Oliveira treat their grinding robots like real Tony STArk’s.

The robots fulfilled their function; however, our perfectionist superheroes were certain they could do more, with better quality and in less time. This idea moved them toward the success of their Continuous Improvement project.

A synergy between their department and Foundry caused a reduction of the defects which, downstream, made it possible to optimize the work of the robots: increasing speed and reducing waste achieved an improvement of 107 hours/year.

Guess what... they keep counting!

And that's how our heroes made their workplace a much more productive place!

Congratulations José and Ricardo!

April 28th is World Occupational Health and Safety Day; we at STA are not indifferent to this date.
Therefore, on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of April, we carried out an activity to raise awareness among the entire STA family of the importance of complying with safety rules at work.
We know that our safety and health must be taken seriously and that conveying this premise never hurts! Mixing leisure, joy, and fun we created the perfect magic potion, which we call: “Beyond Security”!

Mr. Joaquim became part of our family on April 15, 2003, joining the Tools, Molds, Dies and Cuttings execution team.

Locksmithing is an art that runs through his veins; There are no technical constraints that stand in its way and it is always available to save anyone whose tools are in trouble. Some rumors say that his superpower is creativity and improvisation: if there is a need to make a prototype, repair a tool, or solve any other complicated situation, we know that we can trust his experience and his detail.

Some things are priceless and the experience that comes from many years of working in the metalworking industry is one of them, right?

In the same way that Batman drives his batmobile, Mr. Joaquim travels daily on his motorbike. Rain or shine, he winds his way along the road until he reaches his destination safely, ready to save the STA family's day!

Like any superhero, health is never neglected: he likes physical exercise and at his snack time, fruit is essential.

Don't you think that, because of all this, he is an example to follow?

How a small company can be BIG in people.
Why does every STAan get up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, greet their loved ones, and confront rush-hour traffic to get to work? Why do we face the same noise and heat generated by more or less the same machines as everyone else in this industry? Because we care. We care about ourselves, our families, and our colleagues.
People matter. We are all human and at STA we aim to live a better life, for ourselves, our family, friends, colleagues, and customers. This is at the heart and soul of everything we do. We work to have a better life.
This HR strategy was implemented in 2016 and is now recognized with a silver award from the prestigious ALES European Lean Managers Society. The Award recognizes effective implementation of HR practices resulting in significant company performance improvement. The Award competition aims to stimulate the successful implementation of leadership and engagement.
This shows that it is not the depth of company pockets, balance sheets, or HR budgets but genuinely caring about people that make a difference.

The reason why we are doing what we are doing is because we want a better life. For our customers, our colleagues and of course for ourselves. But not every day is the same and sometimes it is hard. Things happen in life, at work. It does not matter how often you fall off the horse, what matters is if you get back on it.

That is why today was a perfect day to learn to sail headwind. Wind from the north is strong this time of the year. 3 boats and 15 STA sailors left the port in Vila Nova de Gaia heading north.

What did we learn? Not only we experienced what the 13^th century Portuguese sailors must have gone through on their caravels returning with a shipload of spices from the east. We also realized that many hands make work light. They all agreed; no one would have made it back if he or she was sailing solo. Not in this wind.