GEQ: Who is Grupo Edson Queiroz?

GEQ: Who is Grupo Edson Queiroz and what is its relationship with Nacional Gás? 

Did you know that Nacional Gás is not only part of Grupo Edson Queiroz (GEQ), but stands at the very origin of one of the largest business conglomerates in the Northeast? 

Grupo Edson Queiroz began its history in the 1950s and, over time, built a solid trajectory of more than 70 years, marked by expansion, diversification, and a pioneering spirit.  

Today, GEQ operates on four major business fronts and brings together a diversified portfolio of brands known nationally and internationally. Over the years, the Group expanded its activities into areas such as energy, beverages, home appliances, communications, agribusiness, real estate, and education.  

Currently, there are about 9 thousand employees and gross revenue of R$ 12,8 billion, according to data from 2024. These figures reflect its economic relevance at the national level and its social impact. 

But the history of GEQ begins long before its consolidation as a holding company and is directly linked to the birth and growth of Nacional Gás, the company that became one of the pillars of the Group. 

So that you can understand a little more of this history, the Nacional Gás blog has prepared complete content. Take a look!  

Who was Edson Queiroz? 

There is no doubt that the history of GEQ begins with its founder, the man who gave the group its name, Edson Queiroz, born in 1925. Still young, in 1933, he began working alongside his father. In 1940, he took over as manager of Gênesis Queiroz & Cia, taking his first steps in the business world. 

A graduate in Accounting in 1948, Edson Queiroz developed a strategic vision that would guide the expansion of his businesses in the following decades. Shortly afterward, in 1950, one of the great milestones of his business trajectory took place: the development of bottled gas distribution in the Northeast. 

In 1951, Edson Queiroz acquires the distributor Ceará Gás Butano. This move was decisive. After all, from that point on came the foundation of what would later be consolidated as Nacional Gás. 

The evolution of Grupo Edson Queiroz 

With business vision and market knowledge, Edson Queiroz adopted diversification as his strategy. It is not surprising, therefore, that in the 1960s the Group began a new cycle of expansion that went beyond the energy sector.  

In 1962, the entrepreneur acquired his first communications outlet, Rádio Verdes Mares. The following year, in 1963, he began setting up the cylinder and stove factory, consolidating Esmaltec as the industrial arm of the business. Then, in 1969, the transfer of the headquarters to Cascavel (CE) marked a new phase of growth and corporate structuring. 

The expansion gained even more strength in the 1970s. At the beginning of the decade, TV Verdes Mares was inaugurated, expanding the presence in the communications sector. In 1971, the Fundação Edson Queiroz was created, with a focus on education, an initiative that would later give rise to the Universidade de Fortaleza (Unifor), consolidating the Group’s commitment to education and social development.  

At the end of the decade, in 1979, the conglomerate entered the mineral water market with the acquisition of Indaiá Águas Minerais, strengthening its presence in the beverage segment. In that period, the Group was already operating in a structured way in energy, communications, industry, and beverages, with a strong national presence. 

In the following decades, the growth trajectory continued. In 1981, the Jornal Diário do Nordeste was launched, further expanding the presence in the media sector. In 1985, the Group expanded its presence in the beverage market with the acquisition of Minalba. In 1998, it started the operations of the Multicarnes meatpacking plant, diversifying into the food sector.  

In the 2000s, more precisely in 2008, Hipercor was founded, and in 2009 the Group also began operating in the dairy segment, with the installation of feedlots on its farms. Shortly afterward, in 2014, the structure of the conglomerate is officially born.  

2014: institutionalization of the GEQ holding company 

With each new business front, the Grupo Edson Queiroz strengthened its corporate structure, expanded its presence in the Brazilian market, and consolidated a growth model based on strategic vision, diversification, and the ability to adapt. 

In 2014, another important milestone occurs: the institutionalization of the holding company that regulates and provides services to the businesses, formally consolidating GEQ (Grupo Edson Queiroz) as an integrated corporate structure. 

This move brought greater governance, standardization of processes, and strategic strengthening to all the companies in the conglomerate’s portfolio. 

New generation and recent expansion 

The advances did not stop in 2014 and, in the following years, there were also important moments in the history of GEQ. They are: 

• 2015: the third generation takes over the company’s management; 

• 2016: entry into the real estate segment with Quepar Incorporações; 

• 2018: creation of Minálba Brasil and acquisition of Nestlé Waters in Brazil; 

• 2020: acquisition of assets from Copagaz and Liquigás and creation of NGC; 

• 2021: Carlos Roberto Queiroz takes over as president of the Group; 

• 2023: launch of the new GEQ brand, reinforcing the Group’s transformation journey. 

What is the relationship between GEQ and Nacional Gás? 

This relationship is structural and historical. Nacional Gás was the beginning of the story that gave rise to the growth of Grupo Edson Queiroz.  

It is worth highlighting that the gas distribution sector was the financial and strategic base that made the expansion possible into communications, industry, beverages, education, agribusiness, and other segments. 

Currently, Nacional Gás is one of the companies that make up the portfolio of Grupo Edson Queiroz. But, historically, it is also the business that gave rise to the consolidation of the Group. 

Over the years, what began as a regional distributor in Fortaleza became part of a national conglomerate structured under the GEQ (Grupo Edson Queiroz) holding company. 

Which companies are part of Grupo Edson Queiroz today? 

In its portfolio, Grupo Edson Queiroz has several businesses: 

Energy 

• Nacional Gás; 

• NGC (structure created after the acquisition of assets from Copagaz and Liquigás). 

Communications 

• Rádio Verdes Mares; 

• TV Verdes Mares; 

• Jornal Diário do Nordeste. 

Industry 

• Esmaltec; 

• Hipercor. 

Education 

• Fundação Edson Queiroz; 

• Universidade de Fortaleza (Unifor). 

Beverages 

• Indaiá Águas Minerais; 

• Minalba; 

• Minalba Brasil. 

Food and Agribusiness 

• Multicarnes; 

• Operations in the dairy and feedlot segment. 

Real Estate 

• Quepar Incorporações. 

Grupo Edson Queiroz: more than 70 years of operation in Brazil 

The trajectory of GEQ shows how entrepreneurial vision, diversification, and structured governance can transform a regional project into a national conglomerate. 

The philosophy that guides the Group remains aligned with the thinking of its founder: “Only work carried out with honesty, professional competence, and dedication produces wealth for time and for eternity,” Edson Queiroz used to say.  

This vision continues to guide GEQ in building sustainable businesses, generating jobs, and driving economic development, keeping Nacional Gás as an essential part of this trajectory.