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Largest Banana Planter in Corupá Leaves a Farm with 50 Thousand Banana Plants and Own Trucks, Goes Bankrupt in Brazil and, with Just 28 Dollars, Rebuilds His Life in the United States to Become a Reference in Tiles in Massachusetts
The story of the largest banana planter in Corupá does not end in the hills of Santa Catarina, surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. It crosses borders, goes through bankruptcy, armed robbery, and a fresh start in another country, until it ends up in a busy tile store on Route 20 in Massachusetts, USA.
One day he was a farmer, owner of trucks, and a reference in banana farming in the capital city of the Santa Catarina fruit. Then he turned into just another broken Brazilian, with a pile of bounced checks in hand. Years later, the same man who had once been the largest banana planter in Corupá re-emerged as a respected businessman in the tile industry, remembering that the turnaround was only possible through hard work, humility, and the quest for safety for his family.
From Largest Banana Planter in Corupá to the Bottom of the Financial Pit
In Corupá, in northern Santa Catarina, he reached the peak. The largest banana planter in Corupá had about 50 thousand banana plants in a farm that impressed with its structure. In addition to production, he had five or six own trucks, traveling all over Brazil and even outside the country with loads of bananas.
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Corupá is recognized as the banana capital of Santa Catarina, and the region even made it into the Guinness for having the sweetest banana in the world. Within this context, he was seen as a strong, successful producer, considered rich and even identified as a millionaire at the time, with volume, fleet, and captive market in supply centers.
Bounced Checks, Financial Collapse, and the Fall of the Empire of Bananas
The negative turnaround came silently. The largest banana planter in Corupá sold to all of Brazil and also to Argentina. Trucks were fully loaded, but payments started to fail. Checks appeared with payment terms of 60 and 90 days, promises of future settlements, and a pattern he sums up without mincing words: lots of defaults.
It was in Argentina that the largest financial blow came, but the problem was not limited to one client or one country. Bounced checks piled up, lawsuits did not bring money back, and the bitter realization that, for small and medium-sized businesses, justice did not work. Gradually, the farm, the trucks, and the comforts built over decades slipped through his fingers.
From Banana to Searching for Safety for the Family
When the banana business collapsed, the largest banana planter in Corupá left his hometown and moved to Curitiba. There, he maintained his connection with the fruit and vegetable sector, with a booth at Ceasa, selling bananas and other goods to customers in the region.
At the same time, he lived a second life as a religious leader. He grew up in the Assembly of God, graduated in theology, and even became the vice-president of the church in the city, acting as a speaker, but without earning a fixed salary from the church. Nevertheless, urban insecurity and a traumatic robbery in São Paulo, when he tried to open a Christian bookstore, triggered the definitive alarm. With a gun pointed at his head and an attempt to forcibly take his wedding ring, he began to think less about business and more about safety for his children.
The Leap to the USA with Only 28 Dollars in His Pocket
The idea of going to the United States was born from the desire to give his children another reality. The largest banana planter in Corupá even planned to stay in the country for a year just so his children could learn English, and then head to Europe. Plans changed, but the first step was taken.
With no money for the ticket, he received the plane ticket as a gift from a pastor friend. When he boarded, he had only 28 dollars in his pocket. A friend picked him up in Miami, and the very next day, he started working installing ceramic tiles, something completely new for someone coming from farming and freight transport. Within a few days, he moved from helper to installer. In just over a year, he was already tackling large projects, like schools with dozens of bathrooms to tile.
From Florida to Massachusetts, Guided by Work and Humility
The first stop was in Florida, but the heavy weather and extreme heat bothered him. He decided to move to Massachusetts, attracted by an opportunity in a flooring company in northern United States. He took a practical test, requested a bathroom to demonstrate his skills, and left there hired, hearing that he seemed to have “20 years of experience,” even though he had just over a year in the field.
In the first months, he came alone. Only after he was able to rent a house did he bring his wife and children from Brazil. The routine was 100 hours of work per week, no vacations, no 13th salary, no time off, but with something he always highlights: the feeling of security when coming home, locking the doors, and knowing that his family was protected.
When the Largest Banana Planter in Corupá Becomes a Reference in Tiles
Over time, the largest banana planter in Corupá stopped being just an installer and opened his own flooring installation company. He had five or more vans distributing teams of installers and helpers, serving large-scale residential projects.
A milestone of this phase was the contract with a major contractor in the region, a Jewish businessman who trusted him to provide and install tiles in dozens of houses in the same condominium. From there, the company began to take on projects of 40, 50, and even more than 200 houses in long-term developments in cities across Massachusetts.
From Installation to Own Store of Tiles and Coatings
The next step was natural. As the clients from construction companies needed to choose coverings, the opportunity arose to open his own showroom. He opened a construction materials store focused on flooring, ceramics, and finishes, in a strategic location in Marlborough, on Route 20.
Today, the former farmer receives consumers and contractors in a space with hundreds of collections of tiles, coverings, and finishes imported from various countries. The largest banana planter in Corupá has become a reference in tiles in Massachusetts, but still prefers to be on-site, closely monitoring projects, rather than spending the entire day behind the counter.
Family in the United States and Zero Desire to Return to Brazil
Far from the banana farm and trucks, life has changed. The children grew up, got married, and he is already a grandfather. The whole family is now in the United States, spread across work, studies, and their own businesses.
He says he knows practically every state in Brazil because of his trucking and preaching travels, but he has never been to Acre. Even so, when asked if he thinks about moving back to the country, he replies no. He wants to visit, see his siblings and friends, but his life is where he found safety, predictability, and space to restart his ventures.
From the Ground of Banana to the Ground of Construction, with the Same Root
Ultimately, the journey of the largest banana planter in Corupá shows someone who lost everything in Brazil, accepted to start from scratch in another country, worked hard, learned a new profession, and again became a reference in a highly competitive sector. The banana plantation is in the past, but the discipline of someone who used to wake up early to care for 50 thousand banana plants now appears in every laid tile and in every collection that enters the store.
In your opinion, is the story of the largest banana planter in Corupá, who restarted from scratch in the United States, another example of inspiring courage or a testament to how Brazil still pushes away those who want to venture and work in peace?
Na verdade, este é um ótimo exemplo de que DEUS sempre tem um propósito maior, quando permite que passemos por situações adversas. ELE NUNCA NOS ABANDONA, ELE É FIEL. Já passei por uma situação igual, não tão grande como o irmão em CRISTO, mas, aprendi a ser cada vez mais dependente deste DEUS maravilhoso e não de homens.
DEUS É BOM, SABE O QUE FAZ E SEMPRE TEM RAZÃO. Diz a Bíblia: ENTREGA TEU CAMINHO AO SENHOR, CONFIA NELE E O MAIS ELE FARÁ. DEUS te abençoe cada dia mais.
O Brasil só dá oportunidade pra quem vende seu voto em troca de bolsas do governo de todo o tipo. PT , partido anti trabalhador…
Parabéns pela reportagem Tiago, Feliz Ano Novo🙋🏻♀️🌸