Cooperativa de Crédito de Livre Admissão Pioneira da Serra Gaúcha

Cooperativa de Crédito de Livre Admissão Pioneira da Serra Gaúcha (i.e. Sicredi Pioneira) was founded on 28 December 1902 by Father Theodor Amstad and others in Nova Petrópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, and was the first credit cooperative in Latin American history. Renamed several times, it took its present name in 2007 and is now a member of the Sicredi system, with operations covering multiple municipalities in the Vale do Sinos and highland regions, holding a pioneering place in the history of Brazilian cooperative finance.