The shipping agency João de Freitas Martins, SA was founded in 1888 by João de Freitas Martins, great-grandfather of the present Managing Director, João Welsh.
João de Freitas Martins, SA, began it’s activity 136 years ago, handling passenger and cargo ships, representing the most prestigious Shipping Companies of the time, such as:
Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stroomboot Maatschappij * "Italia" Societa per Azioni di Navigazione * Norddeutscher Lloyd * Oldenburg - Portugiesische Damfschiffs-Rhederei * Naviera Aznar * Compania Trasatalantica Espanola, S.A. * Lloyd Triestino * United States Lines * American Presidente Lines * Barber Steamship Lines, Inc. * American West African Lines * Hamburg - Amerika Linie * The Guinea gulf Line Limited * Woerman Linie * German Africa Linie * Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd * Stoomvaart Maatschappij "Nederland" * Holland West Africa Lijn N.V. * Den Norske Syd-Amerika Linie
With the construction of Madeira airport in 1961, and in view of the new challenges this infrastructure provided to the island, the company moved into the Travel Agency business, developing operations in the areas of “incoming” and “outgoing”. Later, in 1993, establishes the Travel Agency "Top Atlantico Madeira, Lda", in partnership with Grupo ES Viagens.
Currently, the company João de Freitas Martins, SA. continues with the activity of Shipping Agents dealing with cruise ships, cargo ships and mega yachts, among others.
In view of the new challenges with increasing degree of demand, in the service we provide to our customers, in 2001 we began the process of quality certification, a process that culminated on August 5th, 2002, with the Quality Certification according to the highest European standards for the “Quality Management Systems – ISO 9001.2000”. Noteworthy is the fact that João de Freitas Martins, SA was the first shipping agency in Madeira to obtain this certification.
The company also aware of the challenges of globalization, as well as the importance of maintaining international partnerships, is a member of the following national and international organizations:
- MULTIPORT - Ship Agencies Network
- AYSS - Association of Yacht Support Services
- AGEPOR - Portuguese Shipping Agents Association
- ACIF - Chambers of Commece and Industry of Funchal
