Jalles

Founder Profile

Former governor of Goiás and entrepreneur Otávio Lage de Siqueira was born in 1924, in Buriti Alegre – GO, son of the former federal deputy Jalles Machado and Beatriz Lage de Siqueira. He graduated in Civil Engineering in the Polytechnic School of USP in 1948, but was as politician and businessman that stood out. He married with Marilda Fontoura de Siqueira, having five children: Jalles Fontoura de Siqueira, Ricardo Fontoura de Siqueira, Sílvia Regina Fontoura de Siqueira and Otávio Lage de Siqueira Filho.

Otávio Lage began his economic activity in Itajá Farm, in 1949, in Goianésia-Go. In 1956, settled in Vera Cruz Farm, in the same municipality, where implanted modern techniques for cattle farming and coffee planting. 

To absorb and store the agricultural production of the region he founded the General Warehouses of Goianésia in 1968. From there, he promoted the expansion of the businesses, with corporate investments and initiatives in several segments of the economy, creating the Otávio Lage Group. Today, the Group has investments in the fields of livestock, agriculture, credit cooperatives, communication, production of natural rubber, real estate and the sugar-ethanol industry.  

Otávio Lage entered the public life in the beginning of the 1960’s, when he assumed the mayor's office of Goianésia (1962 to 1965). He helped to create the UDN directory in the City and then the Arena and the PDS in Goiás. He received honorary citizenships from more than 80 municipalities in Goiás and Alterosa (MG). 

In 1965, disputed the Government of Goiás by UDN, having the support of the PSP and the PTB, being the last governor elected by direct vote, before the political reopening in the beginning of the 1980’s. His administration promoted infrastructure works, like the construction of the second stage of the plant of Cachoeira Dourada and of the Maternity and Children’s Hospital, in Goiânia-GO. Besides that, he invested a lot in Education, building several Primary and Secondary Schools.

In 1980, with his visionary spirit and to create jobs in Goianésia, with the support of farmers of the region, he created the Goianésia Álcool S/A Distillery, which became Jalles Machado, a company of the sugar-ethanol industry which is reference in quality, respect for the environment and social responsibility.

In 2004, he received from the Legislative Assembly the Pedro Ludovico Teixeira Legislative Merit Medal, the highest honor given by the Legislative in Goiás. He died in 2006, in a car accident going to Jalles Machado at age 81. A sad coincidence with the death of his father, Jalles Machado, who also died at age 81 in a fatal accident.

The day of his death, July 14th, is a municipal holiday in Goianésia. Otávio Lage is always remembered as politician, who was mayor of the City and governor of Goiás, as entrepreneur, founder of Jalles Machado and of the Otávio Lage Group, but mainly as a friend, who always was willing to help everyone looking for help, for his work, honesty, pioneer spirit and love for that land and for its people, for his capacity of planting dreams and multiply them. His work philosophy is kept by his children and grandchildren who today manage the businesses of the Otávio Lage Group.