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Former banana producer from Corupá, Valdemir reported defaults, loss of a farm with 50,000 plants, and moving to the United States with $28. In Massachusetts, he started by helping in construction, learned installation, opened a flooring company, and rebuilt family security after leaving trucks, transportation, and wealth in Brazil in a new phase.
The banana producer Valdemir, originally from Corupá, in Santa Catarina, recounted that he lost assets after defaults in Brazil and arrived in the United States with only $28. Today, he lives in Massachusetts, where he rebuilt his life in the construction sector and opened a flooring company.
In a video released by the Tiago Skoll channel, the story was told in an interview recorded in the United States, where he has lived since 2011. Before moving, Valdemir said he had a farm with 50,000 banana plants, trucks for transportation across Brazil, and sales linked to markets like Curitiba and Argentina.
Farm in Corupá had up to 50,000 banana plants
Valdemir grew up in Corupá, in the North of Santa Catarina, a region known for banana production. According to him, the family had German origins, and Portuguese only became part of his school life after the age of 7.
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In the most prosperous phase, the banana producer claims he maintained about 50,000 planted banana plants. Besides the plantation, he had five or six trucks used for transporting the production, taking bananas to different regions of Brazil and also abroad.
Trucks took the production far from Santa Catarina
The operation was not limited to the plantation. Valdemir said he transported goods throughout Brazil and mentioned commercial connections with Argentina, as well as sales in centers like Curitiba.
This structure shows that the business had moved from cultivation to a larger distribution chain. The banana producer did not rely solely on the farm: he also operated trucks, negotiated shipments, and dealt with buyers from different regions.
Defaults began to bring down the business
The negative turn came with a series of defaults. Valdemir reported receiving many bounced checks and facing long payment terms, in some cases 60 or 90 days.
He also mentioned defaults related to shipments sent to Argentina. The downfall did not happen all at once, but gradually, as he described: the money disappeared while the charges did not turn into actual receipts.
Loss of the farm marked the end of a phase
After the losses, the structure that supported a comfortable life in Brazil began to unravel. The plantation, the trucks, and the lifestyle built over the years were left behind.
Valdemir describes this period as a gradual breakdown. The banana producer who had been considered a millionaire in his region began to face the financial rock bottom, unable to recover what he was owed.
Curitiba became an attempt at reorganization
Before leaving Brazil, Valdemir went to Curitiba, a city he had known since his youth due to the banana trade at Ceasa. According to him, there was a connection with that market since he was 18 years old.
The move to Curitiba was an attempt to stay in the business and reorganize life after the losses in Santa Catarina. But the old connection with banana sales was not enough to restore the stability he had lost in Corupá.
Attempt to open a business in São Paulo ended in trauma
Valdemir also mentioned that he considered opening a bookstore in São Paulo. The idea was to move from Curitiba to the São Paulo capital, where he already had a location lined up to start the new business.
The plan was abandoned after a robbery. According to the account, criminals put a gun to his head, took money, a watch, and almost took his wedding ring. After the incident, he said he began seeking security for his family, especially because of the children.
United States emerged as a temporary plan
The initial idea was not a permanent move. Valdemir stated that he wanted to take his children to the United States for a period, so they could learn English, and then he would follow another path, possibly in Europe.
But the journey took another turn. In 2011, he left Brazil alone, with a ticket given by a pastor friend and only $28 in his pocket. The former banana producer arrived without money but with the decision to start anew.
First days were in floor installation
In the United States, Valdemir was welcomed by a friend in Miami and started working the next day. The first job was as an assistant in ceramic and floor installation.
According to him, after a few days he was already performing tasks in the area. The beginning was tough and required humility. Everything he had learned as a businessman in Brazil had to take a back seat to a new, manual, and demanding profession.
Florida was left behind and Massachusetts became the destination
Valdemir went through Florida but did not adapt to the heat. Later, he received an invitation from an acquaintance to work in Massachusetts, took a test in the flooring area, and was approved.
The move also brought the family, after a period when he was alone in the United States. The reconstruction ceased to be just individual survival and became a family project in a new state.
Humility became the keyword of the restart
Comparing life in Brazil with his arrival in the United States, Valdemir highlighted the need to lower his head and learn. He said he observed everything others did to master the new profession.
This point is central to the story. The former banana producer, owner of a farm and trucks, had to accept hard work, long hours, and a very different routine from what he had in Brazil.
Floor work turned into an installation company
Over time, Valdemir opened a floor installation company. According to the account, he had several teams working, with vans and employees working on projects.
A larger contract helped change the size of the operation. He mentioned that he began supplying and installing floors for residential projects, including houses in developments in the United States. The practical experience became a foundation for entering the materials trade as well.
Store emerged after contracts with builders
The flooring store was born out of the need to serve clients choosing materials for houses under construction. Valdemir explained that the property buyer would go to the showroom to decide what would be installed.
According to him, the company started in this format in 2017 and later moved to a larger space with more collections. The store became a natural extension of the installation: those who sold the service also began supplying the product.
Company in Massachusetts sells floors and materials
In the interview, Valdemir appears alongside the company in Massachusetts, linked to the flooring, ceramics, cabinets, and construction materials industry. He reports working with different collections and suppliers from various countries.
Even with the store, he claims to prefer overseeing projects and contracts outside the counter. The reconstruction did not come just from opening a business, but from maintaining a presence in fieldwork and installation projects.
Safety weighed more than missing Brazil
Valdemir stated that he does not plan to return to Brazil to live. He said he knows almost all Brazilian states but considers that his life and family are now in the United States.
The word safety appears as one of the strongest reasons for staying. After losing property, facing violence, and starting from scratch, he associates the new life with the chance to work, achieve, and sleep more peacefully.
Plans include growing in another state
Even after recovery, Valdemir states he is in an investment phase. He mentions the desire to open another branch in another state, although he treats the plan as a future possibility.
The story, therefore, does not end with just survival. The banana producer who arrived with US$ 28 began to see new stages of growth in the construction sector, especially in flooring, bathrooms, kitchens, and building materials.
From bananas to flooring, a life turnaround
Valdemir’s journey shows the fall and reconstruction of a banana producer who left Corupá, lost a farm with 50,000 plants, left trucks behind, faced defaults, and arrived in the United States with only US$ 28.
In the United States, he started as a flooring assistant, learned a new profession, and built a company in Massachusetts. Do you think that safety and the possibility of starting over make up for leaving an entire life behind in Brazil? Share your opinion.
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