Brazilian employee ‘oldest in the world’ turns 100 with party in SC

The municipality of Brusque, in Santa Catarina, held a party this week to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of its most distinguished citizens, Walter Orthmann. Employee at the same company for 84 years, he won the title of longest career in the world by Guinness World Records in 2018.

Orthmann, however, was not satisfied and broke his own record this year, as he completed his centenary.

To reach one hundred, according to him, the secret is to take care of health and food. Therefore, he does daily physical activities and every four months undergoes a battery of medical exams.

He was also the first person to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in Brusque. “It’s not easy. To be here today, I had to prepare myself”, said the commercial director as he received his more than 700 guests during his birthday party.

Every day, Orthmann drives to the company and works as a commercial manager, mentoring younger employees and tracking sales. For him, everyone needs a purpose to stay active. “If people don’t have a reason to get out of bed, they don’t live,” he says.

To stay so long in the same company, he gives some tips. “You have to focus on what the customer needs, have honesty, commitment and work truthfully,” he says. “My greatest joy is this, living healthy and continuing to work in sales, a role I’ve been doing for 60 years,” he says.

Having witnessed the modernization of the company in different stages and cultivated bonds over the years, many of the deals are only closed with your service.

“His work is very important for the company, he is active, knows the customers, knows the numbers”, says Yago Gomes, a marketing assistant who works directly with Orthmann.

Orthmann’s first formal day of work was on January 17, 1938, the date before the existence of the CLT, created five years later, during the government of Getúlio Vargas.

Since he started working at the company, he has received his salary in eight different currencies.

His position initially was as a dispatch assistant at Indústrias Renaux SA, today RenauxView, one of the oldest companies in Brusque, a strong textile hub in the country.

Then he became an office boy, then an administrative assistant until he reached the position of sales manager, his current role.

In 2018, the second time he received the Guinness title, he even met with the then president Michel Temer (MDB) in Brasília, the year in which he also received from the Superior Labor Court the commendation of the Judiciary Merit of Labor.