Ana Paula Verdade and António Almeida are the new faces of Aliópticas, a company based in Anadia that was integrated in the Opticalia group at the beginning of 2017. We went to the Mealhada store in order to get to know a little better this entrepreneur couple.
What is your story?
António Almeida: My journey in optics is already very long. I came to this area when I was 14, to support my father, at a time when it was common for stores to have optics and jewelry in the space. This was over three decades ago. About 22 years ago, I decided to start my own business and that’s when the split happened. My father kept the jewelry and I embraced optics. Back then it was called “Óptica Almeida”, the family name. I settled down in Anadia, because I was born there and like the people there. After eight months, I was offered to open a second store, this time in Castro Daire, Viseu. However, an opportunity to sell that store appeared, and since the distance was long, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t hesitate because I already had another proposal in Mealhada, much closer. And that was that, I sealed the deal. We have been evolving over the years and in 2011 we changed our name to “Aliópticas”. The biggest turning point came about at the beginning of this year, with the integration in the Opticalia group.
Ana Paula Verdade: I come from a completely different area, civil engineering. I worked a year and a half as an engineer, but I didn’t identify with the profession. When I married António about 20 years ago, I started to enter the optics business and fell in love. I did various related formations and dove headfirst into this project. Aliópticas is a twofold company.
Learn more in ÓpticaPro 167.
