The ranking "Empresas Mais", of the country's 1,500 biggest companies according to size and financial performance, was released September 14 by the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, during an event in the city of São Paulo.

"This recognition is very important, because it is an external vision, with an independent methodology, which also confirmed that we are following the path we are looking for, which is stability, based on continuous improvement and operational excellence," he said.

"This achievement is the result of a robust project, which is that of Albras, started more than 30 years ago; and a highly dedicated team, with managers and employees committed to the strategic objectives of our company. It's a prize for each one of us, who work for a Better, Bigger and Greener Albras," he added.

In addition to Albras, Acelormittlal and CBMM companies were also awarded in the Metallurgy and Steel Industry category.

The event was attended by the Minister of Finance, Henrique Meirelles, as well as journalists and representatives of companies from all 22 sectors of the economy evaluated.

Meirelles said that after a difficult year, the country began to see the fall in inflation and the recovery of several sectors of the industry, such as metallurgy, which reached last July a growth rate higher than it was in December 2016, when a period of crisis began. He also scored the GDP growth projection for the fourth quarter of this year at 2.7% when compared to the same period in 2016.

The minister also stressed the importance of recognition to the companies that stood out in this recovery process. "It is very important, in a time of recovery of the economy, that we have an event like this, because as we recognize the best practices used in companies, we encourage all companies to follow the same path," he said.

The ranking "Empresas Mais" is a partnership between Estadão and Fundação Instituto de Administração (FIA), Broadcast Agency and Boavista Serviços.