Sofalca

Sofalca is a Portuguese company founded in 1966 and based in Abrantes. It belongs to Grupo Estrada SGPS and makes expanded black cork agglomerate (ICB). Its CEO is Paulo Estrada, and the company describes its next generation as the one that will take cork beyond interiors. The process uses only the cork of the branches, known as falca. The granules are clustered into blocks in an autoclave. Water vapour is injected through the pellets, which expand and bind with the cork's own resin. No additives are used. The "cooking" gives the finished cork its dark, chocolate colour. The steam is raised by burning biomass from the milling and cleaning of the falca. That leaves the production without waste and 95% energy self-sufficient, according to the company. The material is a thermal and acoustic insulator and also works as antivibration insulation. Cork is also a CO2 sink. The product range is organised by application. It covers acoustic insulation, antivibration solutions, cold stores, concrete structures, facades, flat and sloping roofs, radiant flooring systems, wall insulation, exterior coatings and regranulated cork. The flat roof range includes green roof and reflectivity solutions. Sofalca also works with design. It has a contemporary furniture and lighting brand and a generative wall covering brand, Gencork, which has produced a custom wall feature with Zaha Hadid Architects. It has shown immersive cork installations at Paris Design Week 2022, London Design Fair 2023 and Maison & Objet Paris 2024, where it marked ten years of design. The company is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, on the Estrada Nacional 2 at Bemposta, Abrantes.