The automotive sector brand, founded in 1979, is present today in all regions of Brazil.
CAOA is the largest automobile distribution and manufacturing conglomerate in Latin America, founded in 1979 by a Brazilian physician and businessman Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade — current Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. The company is born out of entrepreneurial spirit of one who, at the time, was a respected medical doctor in the North and Northeast of Brazil.
1979: The offer
Forty years ago, the Ford dealership of Campina Grande, a municipality in the state of Paraíba (PB), went broke after selling a Ford Landau, which was never delivered, to Dr. Carlos Alberto He did not hesitate to propose that the bankrupt dealership be passed on to him to compensate for the pre-payment made for the Landau.
The deal was closed and CAOA was born. The company’s name is a reference to the initials — Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade — who became an entrepreneur and started to manage the venture. Less than six years after the creationg of the company, came the first big reward — CAOA became the largest Ford dealership in Brazil.
1992: Importing Renault vehicles
In 1992, the Brazilian market opened its doors to imported vehicles, which had been prohibited until then. And CAOA also joined on this new journey. That year, the company became the official and exclusive importer in Brazil of the French franchise Renault and made it number one in sales in imported cars — and fifth in the automotive market in general.
However, a few years later, the partnership with the French automaker ended and CAOA ceased to represent it in the country.
1998: Importing Subaru vehicles
In 1998, the company of Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade became the exclusive importer of the Japanese brand Subaru, which was previously represented by another company. When CAOA took over, Subaru sales tripled in less than a year.
1999: Importing Hyundai vehicles
The South Korean brand of Hyundai cars had also been represented in Brazil by two other distributors, unsuccessfully.
Success came in 1999, when CAOA took over Hyundai representation. Quickly and following a marketing strategy created by businessman Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade, Hyundai brand became the leader in the Brazilian market of imported cars with the Hyundai Tucson model.
2007: The inauguration of the first automaker in Brazil
In 2007, CAOA inaugurated — in the Agribusiness District of Anápolis, located in the city of Anápolis, Goiás in Brazil — the CAOA Automobile Assembly S/A, Hyundai’s first factory in Brazil.
Building the plant was entrepreneur Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade’s dream. The USD$600 million venture was built with his own resources and earned him the title of “Entrepreneur of the Year in Industry,” awarded by the renowned magazine IstoÉ Dinheiro.
2010: The first few awards
Due to its program to reuse waste from vehicle production and its participation in the reforestation of the Brazilian Midwest, the CAOA Automobile Plant’s received its first award – recognized as “Good doer Company” by IstoÉ Dinheiro Since then, the Annapolis factory has been given other awards – such as the “Most Admired” award, by the magazine Carta Capital.
In 2012, Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade won another award — “Distributor of the Year.” This award is given by Hyundai’s parent company and the 179 distributors of the brand worldwide compete for it. The Brazilian businessman was the first distributor outside Europe to receive this recognition.
In 2014, CAOA was ranked first — both in sales and after sales — in the annual satisfaction survey organized by the JD Power Institute, a world-renowned consulting firm specialized in Customer Satisfaction surveys.In 2017, the company repeated the feat.
2015: The inauguration of the Research and Energy Efficiency Center
In 2015, CAOA inaugurated the Center for Research and Energy Efficiency (CPEE) at the CAOA Assembly plant in Anápolis, in the State of Goiás. It is the most complete laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Latin America. The Center conducts research on new vehicles and engines; as well as research on fuels and certifies new car models; and conducts research on new product concepts to be launched in the next decade, on urban mobility, on manufacturing concepts and logistical flows, all in line with Manufacturing 4.0.
2017: The partnership with the Chinese Chery
In 2017, the Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade business joined in a historic joint venture agreement with China’s Chery to launch CAOA CHERY, a new 100% Brazilian car manufacturer.
This partnership brings together the best of both companies: the engineering strength and high standards for sales and after sales experience that CAOA has, with Chery’s advanced technologies.
Today
Currently, the company founded by Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Andrade is present in all Brazilian regions and has Ford, Hyundai and Subaru brands. It is also the exclusive importer of the Hyundai and Subaru models in Brazil since the late 1990s. CAOA also produces the Tucson, iX35 and New Tucson SUVs, as well as the HR and HD80 trucks at its factory — CAOA Assembly Plant — in the city of Anápolis, the State of Goiás.
In its almost 40 years of operation, CAOA has already surpassed the mark of one million vehicles sold in Brazil.
