Rolando de Sousa Lima

Born in Ponta Delgada on 25 November 1911, he was the son of Nicolau de Sousa Lima, an enterprising man who had acquired and developed a wholesale and grocery warehouse in the centre of Ponta Delgada, as well as establishing Moagem Micaelense (Micaelense Milling). After completing his initial studies in Ponta Delgada at the Antero de Quental Secondary School, and with the intention of continuing his father’s business, he moved to Germany, where he graduated in Milling Engineering. Upon returning to Ponta Delgada, he dedicated himself to Moagem Micaelense, successfully navigating the economic crisis of the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Alongside his brothers, he continued the firm Nicolau de Sousa Lima and the Sociedade Açoriana de Sabões (Azorean Soap Company) in Lagoa, serving as Chairman of the Board until his passing.

Director of Banco Micaelense in 1949, he held the position of President of the General Assembly of the then Trade Guild (Grémio do Comércio) and served as a councillor for the Ponta Delgada Municipal Council. He was also a founding member of the Lions Club of Ponta Delgada.

On 15 November 1954, he was decorated with the 2nd Class Medal from the Belgian Ministry of Labour. In 1982, he was named “Industrialist of the Year” by the newspaper Correio dos Açores.

In 1983, during a visit to Ponta Delgada, he received the insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of Industrial Merit from the President of the Republic, Ramalho Eanes a just recognition of his work and the importance of his companies within the context of the Azorean economy.

Since 2007, his name has been part of the toponymy of the Ponta Delgada Business Park: Azores Parque. His significance to the regional economic development is also remembered through Rua Engenheiro Rolando de Sousa Lima in Ponta Delgada, which runs through the Azores Parque, one of the island’s primary business hubs and home to many enterprises that drive the local economy today.

His funeral took place following a requiem mass at the Chapel of Sant’Anna in Ponta Delgada, proceeding to the São Joaquim Cemetery.