As the economy collapsed, paint offered a way out.
By Kevin Hoffman
José Luis Pinto de Sousa found himself standing at the precipice of despair.
It was 2011, and Portugal’s economy was buckling under the weight of an unprecedented financial crisis. José had spent his last 18 years building a new career in the wood coatings industry, but was now facing a very uncertain future.
Reliable jobs were scarce, and José’s prospects dimmed by the day. The mounting debts and the collapse of the market he knew well forced him to confront a stark reality: stay in Portugal and continue to struggle, or seek opportunities where his skills and experience might still hold value.
“I always managed find a solution to things,” José says. “I will manage to find a solution to keep things going.”
Losing altitude
José Luis Pinto de Sousa’s professional life began with monitoring the skies for trouble.
For eight years, José dedicated himself to Atlantis Airlines, a Lisbon-based company where he managed the challenging dance of scheduling flights and overseeing day-to-day operations.
Life at Atlantis Airlines was stable and rewarding until corporate mismanagement led to its abrupt closure in 1993. This closure was not just a professional setback for José; it was a devastating blow to his career trajectory.
As José navigated through the remnants of his former job, he found himself at a crossroads. The aviation sector in Portugal offered limited opportunities, especially as the country began feeling the early tremors of economic instability that would later escalate into a full-blown crisis.
It was during this period of uncertainty that the coatings industry presented itself as an unlikely avenue for José.
José’s father was a chemical engineer who had spent his life in the paint business. Now his father’s footsteps would lead him.
Starting in the coatings industry meant building from scratch. José initially took on the challenge of selling coatings in Lisbon for a Spanish company, navigating a market he barely knew and learning about the products he sold as he went along.
“I never work on painting, despite my father,” José says. “They gave me a quick introduction to the business, what I was supposed to sell.”
Crumbling economy
As José was establishing himself in the coatings industry, his homeland of Portugal was spiraling into economic turmoil.
The global financial crisis of 2008 had lingering effects that deeply impacted the Portuguese economy, culminating in severe austerity measures and a bailout by international lenders in 2011.
This economic downturn was particularly devastating for small businesses and entrepreneurs like José, who faced an increasingly precarious market.
“So it was really a bad situation,” José recounts. “They needed to call the European Union to help the country. And with that, all the economy was in shambles.”
During this period, José Luis experienced firsthand the fragility of the Portuguese economy. His own business, built on the relationships and reputation he had painstakingly developed, began to suffer as clients delayed payments or went bankrupt.
The financial strain was not just a professional hurdle; it became a personal crisis as well, with José facing mounting debts and limited prospects for recovery.
Each day brought new challenges, and the stability he once knew seemed like a distant memory. The once-thriving industry was now a landscape of delayed projects and unmet client payments.
“I have a client that owes me $75,000 and didn’t pay,” José says. “For a guy working by himself, that’s a deadly situation.”
Northern exposure
The economic collapse in Portugal, compounded by the financial crisis of job loss, brought José to a turning point: He would have to leave Portugal.
The decision to leave his native country was not one he took lightly. But he saw no other way to achieve stability for his family. But he had no other way to secure his family against the crushing weight of debt. He needed a more radical solution.
José began to explore opportunities abroad, casting a wide net. Canada emerged as a potential destination due to its stable economy and supportive immigration policies for skilled workers.
“Maybe they want some guy from Lisbon to sell coatings there,” José mused.
The job hunting phase was grueling, filled with numerous rejections and dead ends. His disappointment was compounded by the deteriorating economy around him.
That’s when Jose met Mark Levesley, at the time the owner of ICA North America.
Mark decided to sponsor José’s move to Canada, taking care of all the necessary legal and immigration processes. This sponsorship was not just a job offer; it was a lifeline that pulled José out of the economic mire he was in and offered him a future.
The process involved considerable effort and expense, including proving to Canadian immigration authorities that José’s skill set was unique and essential for Mark’s business.
“I told [Mark] several times: you saved my life,” Jose says. “I don’t think I could find anyone else in Canada willing to hire a guy from Portugal and bet on him and help him starting from scratch.”
José’s role in the Canadian company involved not only sales but also education and support for clients transitioning to high-quality European coatings. This position leveraged his deep knowledge and experience, allowing him to make significant contributions right off the bat.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, however. Canada was a vastly different world than the one he had known in Portugal. The food, in particular, was a culture shock.
“The food, the food is completely terrible,” Jose says. “I don’t know if you ever went to Portugal or Spain or even Italy, that’s the best place you can eat anywhere in the world.”
Winning the lottery
José considers himself fortunate to have found a lifeline in Levesley. This singular act of faith changed the course of his life and that of his family. He often thinks about the moment he received the job offer: It wasn’t just about financial stability; it was about respect, trust, and the chance to regain what was lost.
“I say that was my lottery ticket,” Jose says. “I won a lottery once because I found the exact guy that literally saved my life.”
As José was establishing himself in the coatings industry, his homeland of Portugal was spiraling into economic turmoil.
