Galletas Fontaneda

Last updated
Fontaneda
Industry Food processing
Founded1881;143 years ago (1881)
Headquarters
Av. Generalísimo, 36
Aguilar de Campoo
34800
,
Spain
Products Cookies
Biscuits
Crackers
RevenueDecrease2.svg €30.149 million (1997) [1]
Decrease2.svg €4.281 million (1997) [1]
Total assets Decrease2.svg €16.068 million (1997) [1]
Number of employees
Decrease2.svg 600 (1997) [1]
A galleta Maria of Fontaneda, the brand's classic Galleta Maria.jpg
A galleta María of Fontaneda, the brand's classic

Fontaneda is a Spanish food sector company dedicated to the manufacture of crackers and biscuits (called "cookies" in North America). At its height, between 1950 and 1975, Fontaneda had yearly revenues of more than 10 billion pesetas. [2]

Contents

It was founded in the town of Aguilar de Campoo by Eugenio Fontaneda in 1881. In 1996, the multinational Nabisco bought it for over 4.5 billion pesetas [3] and in 2002, under the direction of United Biscuits, it closed its facilities, maintaining the trademark to manufacture it in other factories in Spain.

The old Fontaneda factory in Aguilar de Campoo was acquired by Grupo Siro, which took over its staff and relaunched the activity in the town, which is considered "the biscuit town" of Spain. [4] Since 2006, the Fontaneda brand has been marketed by the multinational Mondelēz International (former Kraft Foods). [5]

For its part, the old factory in Aguilar de Campoo, where the production of the brand began, was demolished by Siro in April 2014 in order to take advantage of the land on which it was located as developable land. [6]

History

Eugenio Fontaneda y Millán, a confectioner of Burgos who learned the job in Reinosa, began his activity in Aguilar de Campoo in 1881, making biscuits, cookies and chocolates in an artisan way. [7] Around 1920, he acquired a warehouse on the site of his historic factory, where he began to industrially produce the popular "galleta María", acquiring new technology in Switzerland and Germany. [8] His son, Rafael Fontaneda e Ibáñez, would be responsible of this modernisation and the final take-off of the brand, assuming such responsibility upon the death of his father in 1921. [9] [10] He began chain production on March 25, 1923, under the name "Manufactura nacional de galletas, chocolates y bizcochos Hijo de E. Fontaneda". It hired renowned Catalan and Basque biscuit masters to expand its range of die-cut biscuits, and in 1927 Fontaneda already dominated the marie biscuit market in Spain. In 1933, it had tripled the production capacity of its factory. For a time, the name of the biscuit was attributed in Spain to that of Eugenio Fontaneda's granddaughter and Rafael's daughter, but the most likely origins lie with Maria Aleksandrovna of Russia, in honor of her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in London, in 1874. [11] [12]

María's sales in the Santander, Castilian and Basque markets grew exceptionally: in 1936, the factory had five ovens, although its progression was stalled by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. In the difficult 1940s, Fontaneda managed to overcome the fragile situation thanks to the entrepreneurship of Rafael Fontaneda, who managed to minimise the problems of raw material supplies. His company was greatly favored by the quota policy established by Francisco Franco, and also by legislation that favoured manufacturers who had their own sugar beet and sugar cane plantations, which Fontaneda produced in its extensive properties in Jérez de la Frontera. In the 1950s, Fontaneda had become already in the main biscuit company in the country.

In 1952, Rafael Fontaneda undertook the modernisation of his machinery, at an expense of some 10 million peseta. His good relationship with the Francoist regime allowed him a trip to the United States, subsidized by the National Commission of Industrial Productivity, to learn about the latest technical advances in the biscuit industry. Under the popularity of Fontaneda, other biscuit factories took off in Aguilar de Campoo, such as Galletas Gullón (founded in 1892) and Galletas Fontibre, founded in 1948. [4] In 1958, part of the factory was destroyed by a fire, which forced its owner to make another important disbursement. The factory, located in the heart of the town of Aguilarense, was already a symbol of Fontaneda, and thanks to its expansion, it employed a large part of the population of Aguilar de Campoo.

The third family generation, with Eugenio Fontaneda y Pérez (grandson) at the helm, was involved in the development of the town, and in 1967, he was made president of the Center for Initiatives and Tourism in Aguilar de Campoo. [13] His father, Rafael, died in 1976.

The slogan “How good they are, Fontaneda biscuits” became over the years a benchmark in popular culture. It was used in press advertisements and television campaigns, immediately associating a melody to the brand, becoming the corporate sound identity of the product. [14] It is considered a Jingle-Brand, a slogan created with commercial interest that became a popular success. [15] Starting in 2009, Kraft Foods, owner of the brand since 2006, relaunched the image of the brand with presenter Julia Otero using the old slogan and melody, [16] thus highlighting the value of the brand. [17]

The María Fontaneda biscuit was also a common product in Spanish breakfasts, and is considered a biscuit with a great tradition. [18]

Chairmen

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfonso XI of Castile</span> King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1312 to 1350

Alfonso XI, called the Avenger, was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ensued over who would hold regency, which were resolved in 1313.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nabisco</span> American snack company

Nabisco is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanca de Castejón</span> Puerto Rican actress (1906–1969)

Blanca de Castejón was a Puerto Rican actress who is best remembered for her work in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, especially her award-winning supporting role in Escuela de vagabundos. She was born in Comerío, Puerto Rico, and died in Mexico City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aguilar de Campoo</span> Municipality in Castile and León, Spain

Aguilar de Campoo is a town and municipality of Spain located in the North of province of Palencia, autonomous community of Castile and León. The River Pisuerga flows through its historic centre. Its 2011 population was 7741.

Peek Freans is the name of a biscuit-making company based in Bermondsey, London, which is now a global brand of biscuits and related confectionery owned by various food businesses. De Beauvoir Biscuit Company owns but does not market in the UK, Europe and USA; Mondelēz International owns the brand in Canada; and English Biscuit Manufacturers owns the brand in Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campoo</span> Comarca in Cantabria, Spain

Campoo is a comarca (district) of Cantabria (Spain) located in the High Ebro. With an area of slightly more than 1,000 km2, it includes the municipalities of Hermandad de Campoo de Suso, Campoo de Enmedio, Campoo de Yuso, Valdeolea, Valdeprado del Río, Valderredible, Reinosa, Las Rozas de Valdearroyo, Santiurde de Reinosa, Pesquera, and San Miguel de Aguayo. The local inhabitants are called Campurrians . Its highest elevation is the Cuchillón peak, and the lowest is Pesquera, with the capital, Reinosa at 850 m.

Alberto Fernández Blanco was a Spanish road racing cyclist. His son Alberto Fernández Sainz is also a road racing cyclist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan de Zavala</span> Prime Minister of the Spanish Republic in 1874

Juan de Zavala y de la Puente, 1st Marquess of Sierra Bullones was a Spanish noble and politician. After fighting in the First Carlist War, the Marquess served as Prime Minister of Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galletas Gullón</span> Spanish food company

Galletas Gullón is a Spanish food sector company dedicated to the manufacture of crackers and biscuits. Founded in 1892, in Aguilar de Campoo in the province of Palencia surrounded by wheat fields, Gullón has been the leading producer of biscuits in Spain. In 2009, it had an annual production of 102 million kg and a turnover of 163 million euros and in 2014 with a turnover of 286.6 million euros. Gullón had a turnover of 630 million euros in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garci Lasso de la Vega I</span>

Garci Lasso de la Vega I, also known as "el Viejo" was a Spanish noble in the service of King Alfonso XI of Castile. He was the chancellor of the Kingdom of Castile, an adelantado of the king. He later became the chief justice of the king and gained vast properties in Asturias de Santillana and feudal land tenures and vassal towns in more than fifteen areas throughout Castile. He went to Soria in 1328 to recruit allies against infante Don Juan Manuel who had been consistently violating the king's territories. The Spanish nobles of Soria assaulted him with crossbows, driving de la Vega to seek cover at the Convent of San Francisco where he was eventually killed. Alfonso XI punished all those responsible, ordering their execution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Unión y el Fénix Español building</span>

The La Unión y el Fénix Español building, destined to be the headquarters of the former insurance company "La Unión y el Fénix Español", was one of the first skyscrapers in Madrid. Since 2006 it has housed the "Petit Palace Alcalá Torre" hotel, which belongs to a hi-tech company.

José Alberto Castro is a Mexican producer and director.

Isabel de los Ángeles Ruano is a Guatemalan writer, poet, journalist and teacher. In 1954, she moved with her parents to Mexico; they returned to Guatemala three years later, living in various locations within Jutiapa Department and Chiquimula Department. In Chiquimula, she entered the Instituto Normal de Señoritas de Oriente. She graduated from Educación Primaria Urbana with a teacher's diploma in 1964 at the age 18. In 1966, she traveled on her own to Mexico, where she published her first book, entitled Cariátides, the foreword of the book having been written by the Spanish poet León Felipe. Returning to Guatemala in 1967, she began working in journalism. In 1978, she completed her university studies in Spanish and Latin American Language and Literature at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. In the late 1980s, she began to suffer from mental disorders. She was awarded the Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature by the Ministry of Culture in 2001. Dressing as a man, she has lived for several years in Guatemala City's colonia Justo Rufino Barrios, zona 21.

The Aguilar de Campoo case refers to the disappearance of Virginia Guerrero Espejo and Manuela Torres Bouggefa, two teenaged girls, on April 23, 1992. Guerrero (14) and Torres (13) were last seen hitchhiking from the municipality of Reinosa, Cantabria, to their hometown of Aguilar de Campoo, Palencia. Their disappearance remains unsolved.

The Felipe Trigo Awards are annual literary honors created in 1981 on the initiative of the City Council of Villanueva de la Serena, Spain. On 24 November 1980, the Municipal Assembly agreed to institute it as a tribute to the writer Felipe Trigo, born in the city in 1864.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pazo de Castro Monteagudo</span> Mansion in Pontevedra, Spain

The Pazo de Castro Monteagudo, is an 18th-century baroque pazo in Pasantería Street, next to the Plaza de la Leña in the city of Pontevedra, Spain, in the heart of the old town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrabusi</span>

Terrabusi is an Argentine food brand currently owned by US conglomerate Mondelez International. The former manufacturing company had been founded by the Terrabusi brothers in 1911, and soon gained a reputation as a cookies and crackers manufacturer, commercialising its products under several brands. In 1994, Terrabusi was purchased by U.S.-based company Nabisco, which would be acquired by Philip Morris Companies, Inc. in 2000. As a result, both food companies joined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valdecebollas</span> Mountain in Spain

The Valdecebollas Peak is an elevation of the Montaña Palentina, in the foothills of the Cantabrian mountain range (Spain), in the orographic knot of La Cebollera, or massif of Valdecebollas. This massif forms a buttress to the south of the Sierra de Híjar, also known on this southern slope as "Sierra de Peña Labra", as this summit is the most characteristic from this perspective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count of Castañeda</span> Spanish nobility title

The Count of Castañeda, ruled by the Counts of Castañeda, a Spanish noble title of late medieval origin, was the first physical territory granted to an aristocrat in the region now occupied by the autonomous community of Cantabria. It initially belonged to the Manrique family. Geographically, it was located in territory originally belonging to the Asturias de Santillana comarca, bordering to the west with the marquisate of Santillana. The nobility title was used for centuries by the eldest sons of the holders of the marquisate of Aguilar de Campoo, first class Grandee of Spain, nowadays, both dignities are separated.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Annual Report 1997". Galletas Fontaneda, S.A. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. ↑ El País: La multinacional estadounidense Nabisco compra, a través de Marbú, Galletas Fontaneda - 12 August 1996
  3. ↑ Rivera, Jorge (1996-08-12). "La multinacional estadounidense Nabisco compra, a través de Marbú, Galletas Fontaneda". El País (in Spanish). ISSN   1134-6582 . Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  4. 1 2 "Un amargo futuro para el pueblo de las galletas". abc (in Spanish). 2002-04-06. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  5. ↑ "Fontaneda y Chiquilín cambian de manos | elmundo.es". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  6. ↑ "Fontaneda se desvanece". El Norte de Castilla (in European Spanish). 2014-04-12. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  7. ↑ Gutiérrez Flores, Jesús. Guerra Civil en Cantabria y pueblos de Castilla. LibrosEnRed, 2006. ISBN   1597541400, p. 243
  8. ↑ ABC «Un amargo futuro para el pueblo de las galletas»
  9. ↑ Moreno Lázaro, Javier. Tecnología, empresa y mercado en la fabricación española de galletas, 1790-1936. Revista de Historia Industrial. ISSN 1132-7200. Nº 37, 2008, pp. 15-35
  10. ↑ Kraft Foods «Fontaneda. Historia Archived 2011-09-08 at the Wayback Machine »
  11. ↑ "El curioso e histórico motivo por el que las 'galletas María' se llaman así" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  12. ↑ "¿De dónde provienen las galletas María y por qué se llaman así?". López-Dóriga Digital (in Mexican Spanish). 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  13. ↑ "Eugenio Fontaneda". 2008-05-11. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  14. ↑ YouTube «Anuncio María Fontaneda» Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010
  15. ↑ Universidad de Navarra «La música en la comunicación publicitaria» Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010
  16. ↑ YouTube «Julia Otero - Anuncio Galletas Fontaneda» Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010
  17. ↑ MarketingNews «Fontaneda ficha a Julia Otero para respaldar el valor de su marca ante las de la distribución Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine » Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010
  18. ↑ El Mundo ««María», devorada por los cereales [ permanent dead link ]» Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.