Flaviense Stucco Inc.

Building a Solid Foundation

The founder of Flaviense Stucco Inc., Carlos Rodrigues, was born in Chaves on October 30, 1964. Chaves is a provincial town in the north of Portugal, in the district of Vila Real and the historical region called Tras-os-Montes. The area was once called Aqua Flaviae by the Romans that had ruled this area and it is still known for its hot springs and baths. In modern times, the town is a prosperous center with a population of about 13,000 in the urban area relying on its agricultural production (wine, potatoes, flowers, rye, and vegetables), hot springs, famous ham, and soccer team that often finishes first in its division.

As a boy, Carlos was fascinated by car-races and he even participated in several races in Portugal. Although he could have followed his dream to become a car-racer, he decided that the call of family tradition was stronger. Rodrigues and one of his brothers decided to follow in their father’s footsteps by entering into the contracting business with the joint creation of their own company in Portugal called Rodrigues e Machado Ltd. The small business that started out by subcontracting work was soon employed directly by the Chaves City Hall constructing auditoriums, small apartment buildings and three police stations in the surrounding area. They were also responsible for building several telecommunications centres between Chaves and Vila Real. This business is still alive and kicking today in the hands of Rodrigues’s brother and father.

A New Start in Canada

In 1993, Carlos visited Canada for a period of 15 days. At that time, he found that it had all of the right conditions required for the opening of a new and successful business in the field of contracting. He decided to come to Canada to live and work. Carlos arrived on the 13th of May 1994 and bought his first house in Chatham, Ontario. Chatham; however, it was too small to satisfy Carlos’s big dreams, and a month later he moved to Toronto.

Shortly after arriving in Toronto in June of 1994, Carlos founded Flaviense Stucco, using the Roman namesake of his home-town in Portugal for inspiration. Two years later he created the Flavi Group, a firm specializing in the construction and renovation of both residential and commercial properties.

Today, Carlos Rodrigues still loves the excitement of car races, motocross, and mountain-bike races (although he is still a little weary about taking a flight in an airplane!). He enjoys playing the host to friends and family in his Toronto home as well. A balance between work and leisure time is important to Carlos. He appreciates the value of coming home to a house that is inviting, comfortable, and beautiful.