Francisco Aguilar

Picture of Francisco Aguilar

Founder, Inventor, and Reference in Sustainable Innovation in Brazilian Civil Construction.

Humble origins and an entrepreneurial calling.

Francisco Aguilar has a life story marked by hard work, innovation, and resilience. Born in Tupã, in the countryside of São Paulo, he began his professional journey at the age of six. After his family moved to Paraná, his father—then a coffee grower—suffered major losses due to a severe frost and left agriculture to become a truck driver.

Still a child, Francisco Aguilar started working at a junkyard, sorting recyclable materials. By the age of eight, already living in São Paulo, he worked as a “carreteiro,” transporting market vendors’ purchases using a makeshift cart. In Vila Medeiros, he endured harsh conditions working as a charcoal burner, and later sold ice cream, lollipops, and even carnival wigs on the streets.

First encounters with commerce and the banking sector.

At the age of 13, in Vila Buenos Aires (neighborhood of Penha), he landed a job as a store clerk at a local supermarket, where his talent for calculations quickly stood out. Shortly after, he joined an employment agency and was referred to Banco Nacional for a position as an office boy.

Demonstrating discipline and commitment, he was promoted to messenger and later to clerk, working in the reinsurance department. This period was essential for developing the organizational and technical skills that he would later apply to his innovative projects.

Eco-Friendly Soil-Cement Bricks The invention that revolutionized sustainable construction

In 1972, at the age of 14, Francisco Aguilar embarked on a bold project alongside his father and brother to develop a machine for making eco-friendly bricks. Using his knowledge of technical drawing, he designed a manual system that allowed bricks to be molded with perfect interlocking—a pioneering technology in Brazil, aimed at making civil construction more sustainable, affordable, and efficient.

The first machine, advertised in the Diário Popular newspaper, sold quickly, motivating the creation of new models and the start of a visionary business. Francisco balanced his work at the bank with the design and testing of the machine, investing all his free time into refining the equipment.

Picture of Francisco Aguilar

The founding of the industry and the first major achievement of Jarfel // Sahara.

In 1978, now with greater technical experience, acquired a concrete block machine factory from Japanese engineer Yoshio Sahara.

The knowledge transferred by Yoshio Sahara was crucial for Francisco to begin producing more robust and efficient machines.

The first sale was made to a company in Rio de Janeiro, marking the beginning of a new and successful phase for the business.

Family business, strong values, and sustainable growth.

In 1981, Francisco married Lígia Mara Aguilar, who took on the role of managing the company’s finances—a responsibility she continues to fulfill to this day.

Their daughter, Fernanda Aguilar, became involved in the business from an early age, helping with promotions and demonstrating the machines at trade shows and events when she was just 10 years old.

In 1994, Jeferson Aguilar was born, who would later join the company as well. Today, the business is recognized for its strong family culture and participatory management.

Other family members—including nephews, brothers-in-law, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law—also became part of the business, strengthening its structure and contributing to various operational, administrative, and commercial areas.

Resilience in times of crisis.

During a period of severe economic crisis in Brazil in 1978—when inflation soared beyond 60% per month—Francisco Aguilar faced a difficult decision within the family business. Selling machines was extremely challenging, as his family insisted on cash-only sales, something nearly unfeasible in that scenario. Faced with mounting financial pressure, the family decided to sell the company for the exact value of its debts—an option Francisco Aguilar, despite being a minority partner, refused to accept.

Determined to change the course of the company’s history, Francisco proposed an agreement: if they granted him 30 days, he would commit to paying off all the company’s debts. In exchange, he would assume full ownership of the business. If he failed, he would accept the family’s decision to sell the company just to cover the debt. The family accepted the deal.

Image taken from: https://outraspalavras.net/outrasmidias/volta-da-carestia-convida-a-pensar-em-1978/

In a market where no one dared to sell machinery on credit—due to inflation causing prices to rise daily—Francisco Aguilar adopted a bold and creative strategy. Instead of limiting sales to upfront payment, he offered 24-month financing with no interest, requiring only a down payment. This unprecedented offer was advertised in popular newspapers at the time, such as Diário Popular and O Estado de São Paulo.

Although it initially seemed like a poor deal—offering credit in a highly inflationary environment—the strategy worked brilliantly. In less than a month, Francisco sold the company’s entire stock of machines. With the down payments, he managed to pay off all outstanding debt, just as he had promised.

As a result, he took full control of the company, buying out the shares of his father, mother, and brother for the same values they had proposed when they considered selling the business just to cover the debt. This was the turning point: Francisco Aguilar became the sole and majority owner of the company, demonstrating his strategic vision, courage, and ability to innovate even in the most challenging times.

Technical innovations and strategic collaborations.

In the 1990s, the company took the lead in developing new formats for eco-friendly bricks. The traditional model, which already featured interlocking design, was enhanced with the introduction of a round interlock and the innovation of internal holes within the bricks. These holes began to serve multiple functions: they allowed for the passage of electrical and plumbing installations, improved the thermal performance of walls, and enabled internal air circulation, which helped eliminate moisture. As a result, the walls became naturally drier, contributing to the control of mold and dust mites within indoor environments. This technology was officially patented with the INPI under number DI 5601370-1.

Additionally, in collaboration with a construction client in the city of Peruíbe (São Paulo), the company developed an innovative building system based on the use of micro-columns and concrete reinforcement beams. This system significantly improved the structural safety and stability of buildings constructed with eco-friendly bricks.

National visibility and a leap in growth.

In 1994, the company’s participation in the “Pequenas Máquinas” (Small Machines) trade show marked a turning point in its journey. The event, held from February 28 to March 2 that year, was part of the Sixth International Exhibition organized by Lemos Brito. On that occasion, the company carried out an innovative demonstration: it built a 55 m² house live in just three days, and by the fourth day, it was fully furnished and decorated.

The boldness of the demonstration drew significant attention from the media and public figures in attendance, including São Paulo’s then-mayor, Paulo Maluf. The response was immediate—national and international media widely covered the achievement, and the visibility led to the company’s first appearance on the TV Globo program Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Negócios (Small Companies & Big Business).

This television exposure significantly boosted sales, creating a need to increase production. This, in turn, led to a move to a larger facility, the acquisition of new properties to expand manufacturing and administrative operations, and the establishment of a national customer service center.

Two years later, in 1996, Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Negócios returned to feature the company in a follow-up segment, recognizing its growth since the 1994 trade show and the progress achieved from that historic moment forward.

Productive expansion and the beginning of outsourcing.

To meet the high demand, the company outsourced the manufacturing of the machines to about 10 partner industries, while maintaining excellence in quality standards. With this strategy, the sales volume was so great that within a few months, approximately 2,500 machines were produced, consolidating its position as a leader in the sector.

Sustainability and institutional recognition.

Due to the great success of the construction system using eco-friendly bricks, in 1998 we participated in the Cajuru Project, in which the city government of Sacramento, Minas Gerais, built 485 houses using this technology. The following year, in 1999, we took part in the Minha Casa Project, promoted by the Manaus government, which resulted in the construction of 30,000 homes with eco-friendly bricks. The success of this initiative was so significant that it served as the foundation and inspiration for the creation of the federal program that later became Minha Casa, Minha Vida, nationally recognized as one of the largest housing projects in the country.

The growth of concrete blocks and a new market shift.

Starting in 1998, the concrete block market began gaining prominence within the construction sector.

In 2005, another feature on the Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Negócios (Small Companies & Big Business) program reinforced the brand’s credibility and attracted new customers. The company improved its concrete block machines, expanded its product line, and further solidified its position as a benchmark in technological solutions for the construction industry.

By 2015, with the mass shutdown of numerous brickworks due to increasingly strict environmental restrictions and legal barriers, eco-friendly bricks and concrete blocks rose to prominence. They became firmly established as sustainable and viable alternatives to traditional construction methods.

Present Day: Consolidated Leadership and a Vision for the Future.

Today, Jarfel // Sahara operates from its own headquarters spanning over 10,000 m² in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, which includes room for expansion and a modern manufacturing facility.

The company currently focuses on producing concrete block and paving stone machines, with optimized applications for small, medium, and large-scale construction projects—whether private or public.

Jarfel // Sahara continues to invest in ongoing research and development, as well as in theoretical and hands-on training for clients who acquire its equipment.

CEO Francisco Aguilar remains at the helm of the company as president and technical advisor, leading with the same core values that have guided him since childhood: resilience, innovation, ethics, sustainability, and a commitment to social progress through civil construction.