LACO Business Hub

My visit to the LACO business hub revealed a new ecosystem of small businesses that have grown out of a former industrial estate and been transformed into a new business community.

I met with the operational director, Jimmy Bakker, whose enthusiasm for the project is infectious. He was involved in a similar project in the Netherlands and is already familiar with the positive benefits of bringing small businesses together and the symbiotic relationship this creates.

Located behind Lagos Retail Park, the hub was originally inspired by the vision of its four founding partners: Dave Hemminga, Jorge Lira, Karin Sligting and Jimmy Bakker. 

Dave and Karin are the owners of the real estate company behind the Cerro Mouro project, which specializes in sustainable homes. Jorge Lira serves as their technical manager, while Jimmy Bakker worked as a project manager during that time. In May 2024, Dave began searching for a large warehouse to establish a factory dedicated to producing closed timber frame houses. 

During their search, they came across the former facility of SOLMATE, a well-known construction material supplier that shut down in 2015 the site included a number of old warehouses and showrooms. Since then, the premises had only been used by the Odiáxere Carnival Clube. This abandoned site boasted 3,892 m² of covered area and 7,344 m² of exterior space, including 11 offices, multiple functional spaces, large warehouses, and extensive outdoor areas.

The team quickly realised that the facility presented significant potential as a hub for innovation, offering flexible spaces and a wide range of services to support local businesses. Each partner brought their expertise to the project: Karin Sligting is responsible for legal and licensing matters, Dave Hemming oversees marketing and branding, and Jorge Lira serves as technical director. Together, they established the LACO Business Hub, creating a thriving space for entrepreneurship and collaboration.

LACO Business Hub officially opened its doors in March 2024, welcoming entrepreneurs from all nationalities to start or expand their businesses in the western Algarve. In early April, after clearing the site of leftover construction materials, the first tenants quickly “claimed” their spaces, marking the beginning of a vibrant entrepreneurial community.

New spaces were developed, office areas filled up and warehouses were repurposed to meet diverse business needs. In the initial days, the electricity infrastructure was restored, and a high-speed fibre optic network was installed, laying the groundwork for the hub’s rapid development and future growth. The hub already boasts a vibrant community of diverse businesses, including a food producer, a podcast studio, digital nomads, an artist collective, a mechanic, a skincare producer, and jewellery makers. These enterprises exemplify the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that the hub seeks to nurture and expand in its next phase.

Jimmy took me on a tour, and we witnessed the construction of the space where local coffee producer The Studio Coffee will roast the coffee. He explains how this is part of the joy of businesses working in the same space. The aromas of coffee will permeate through the other business units and The Studio can provide them with coffee for their breaks or for meetings. So each business can offer services or support to the others. We also meet a surfboard shaper who is holding a workshop for surfers to build their own boards and an artist from a collective group who has established a studio there.

The first of their newly built workshop spaces are expected to be ready and available for rent by early 2025. I saw the 16 sustainable, wood-built workshop spaces taking shape within the vast cavernous space of the old warehouse. They plan to open up one side to let natural light flood the space and transform the exterior concrete jungle into attractive landscaping.

Additionally, plans are underway to develop both indoor and outdoor storage facilities, further solidifying the hub as a dynamic centre for innovation and collaboration.

Jimmy explains, “With the early adopters now settled and growing their businesses, the LACO Business Hub is entering its second phase of development. This phase includes exciting new projects within a 900m² warehouse named Just B. Here. These additions will provide versatile opportunities for entrepreneurs and significantly enhance the hub’s offerings.”

I left the site feeling elated that the LACO hub reflects a new era for Lagos and this area. It is a hub where creatives come together in a harmonious way to create new services and ideas that are sure to inspire others to do the same.

Sitio Chinicato S/N Chinicato 8600-306 Lagos 

www.lacohub.com

Sonhos em Madeira: carpentry

Jan Liebing, originally from Hamburg, completed his carpentry apprenticeship from 2004 to 2007. With a deep passion for woodworking, Jan began developing his own craft, creating bespoke furniture, joinery and cabinets.

Since joining LACO, Jan has fully immersed himself in his craft, transforming an empty 220m² space into a fully functional carpentry industrial workshop. The transition from a small workshop in Odiáxere to the spacious and dynamic environment at LACO has allowed Jan to expand his capabilities and take on larger, more complex projects. The hub’s collaborative atmosphere, combined with its diverse community of entrepreneurs, has provided Jan with invaluable support and inspiration as he works to grow his business.

LACO’s environment has not only supported Jan’s professional growth but has also become a place where his vision for his carpentry business can truly flourish. 

sonhosemmadeira@gmx.net

Instagram: @sonhos_em_madeira.pt

Brilha Mais: laundry and cleaning service

Andreia de Jesus Sequeira Candeias decided to start her own business, determined and confident that, with hard work and dedication, she could build something special. 

“The first steps weren’t easy, but persistence paid off. Little by little, the business began to grow and bear fruit, showing that anything is possible when you believe in your dreams. Later on in this journey, fate reserved a special ally for me: my husband Luís, who joined me and became an indispensable part of our company.”

Together, Andreia and Luís managed to overcome challenges and build the same values of hard work and commitment. They have been joined by several trusted employees and are starting to gain growing recognition from their clients, who trust them and their work. Having started from humble beginnings with simple cleaning jobs, they never stopped investing in growth. “We believe that knowledge is the engine of progress, which is why we have trained and expanded our services.”

Brilha Mais offers a wide range of solutions, including domestic cleaning, local accommodation cleaning, window cleaning, sofa, carpet and mattress cleaning, commercial cleaning, offices, gyms and laundry service with collection and delivery. They opened their laundry space in the LACO hub in June 2024 and use it as their base for washing machines, ironing and other cleaning equipment.

“This new chapter brings us immense joy, as we are now part of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs where small and big ideas become success stories. Our journey is made up of hard work, dedication and passion for what we do – each achievement reinforces our commitment to providing quality services to our customers.”

They are now looking forward to the future with the certainty that there is still much to do and achieve. “This is just the beginning of a story that promises to grow every day.”

andycandeias@hotmail.com

Facebook: Brilha Mais

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