| João Gerdau | |
| Birth Name: | Johannes Heinrich Kaspar Gerdau |
| Birth Date: | 1849 |
| Death Date: | 1917 |
| Nationality: | German, Brazilian |
| Known For: | founder of the steel company Gerdau |
João Gerdau (born Johannes Heinrich Kaspar Gerdau, 1849-1917) was a German-born Brazilian businessman and the founder of the steel company Gerdau.
In 1869, Gerdau emigrated to southern Brazil, and in 1901, bought a nail factory in Porto Alegre.[1]
His son Hugo Gerdau inherited the business, and in turn, passed it to his son-in-law Curt Johannpeter in 1946.[1] It is now controlled by his fours sons, Klaus Gerdau Johannpeter, Germano Hugo Gerdau Johannpeter, Frederico Carlos Gerdau Johannpeter and Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, and their families.[1]