Galletas Fontaneda facts for kids
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| Industry | Food processing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1881 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Cookies Biscuits Crackers |
| Revenue |  €30.149 million (1997) |
| €4.281 million (1997) |
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| Total assets | €16.068 million (1997) |
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Number of employees
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600 (1997) |
Fontaneda is a Spanish company that makes delicious crackers and biscuits. (In some places, like North America, biscuits are often called "cookies"!) This company became very popular, especially between 1950 and 1975.
The company was started in 1881 by Eugenio Fontaneda. He founded it in a town called Aguilar de Campoo in Spain. In 1996, a big company named Nabisco bought Fontaneda. Later, in 2002, another company, United Biscuits, closed the original factory. However, they kept the Fontaneda brand name and continued to make the biscuits in other factories in Spain.
The old Fontaneda factory in Aguilar de Campoo was later bought by a group called Grupo Siro. They hired the factory's workers and started making biscuits there again. This town is even known as "the biscuit town" of Spain! Since 2006, the Fontaneda brand has been sold by a large international company called Mondelēz International.
Sadly, the original factory building in Aguilar de Campoo was taken down in 2014. This was done so the land could be used for new buildings.
Contents
The Story of Fontaneda
How It All Started
Eugenio Fontaneda y Millán was a sweet maker from Burgos. He learned his skills in Reinosa. In 1881, he began his own business in Aguilar de Campoo. He made biscuits, cookies, and chocolates by hand.
Around 1920, Eugenio bought a large building for his factory. Here, he started to make the famous "galleta María" using machines. He brought in new technology from Switzerland and Germany.
A New Generation Takes Over
Eugenio's son, Rafael Fontaneda e Ibáñez, helped with this modernization. He took over the company when his father passed away in 1921. On March 25, 1923, Rafael started making biscuits on a production line. The company was named "Manufactura nacional de galletas, chocolates y bizcochos Hijo de E. Fontaneda."
Rafael hired skilled biscuit makers from Catalonia and the Basque Country. This helped Fontaneda create many different types of biscuits. By 1927, Fontaneda was already the top company for Marie biscuits in Spain. By 1933, they had tripled how many biscuits they could make!
The Famous Marie Biscuit
For a while, people in Spain thought the Marie biscuit was named after Eugenio Fontaneda's granddaughter. However, the biscuit's name most likely comes from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. It was made to celebrate her wedding in London in 1874.
Growing Through Challenges
Sales of the Marie biscuit grew very fast in areas like Santander, Castile, and the Basque Country. By 1936, the factory had five ovens! But then, the Spanish Civil War started, which slowed things down.
During the difficult 1940s, Fontaneda managed to keep going. Rafael Fontaneda was a very clever businessman. He found ways to get the ingredients they needed, even when things were tough. The company also benefited from government rules that helped manufacturers who grew their own sugar. Fontaneda had large sugar cane farms in Jérez de la Frontera. By the 1950s, Fontaneda was the biggest biscuit company in Spain.
Modernizing and Expanding
In 1952, Rafael Fontaneda updated his factory's machines. This cost a lot of money! He even traveled to the United States to learn about the newest ways to make biscuits.
Because Fontaneda was so popular, other biscuit factories also started in Aguilar de Campoo. These included Galletas Gullón (started in 1892) and Galletas Fontibre (started in 1948). In 1958, a fire damaged part of the Fontaneda factory. But Rafael rebuilt it. The factory was in the middle of Aguilar de Campoo and was a symbol of the town. It employed many people from the area.
The Third Generation
Eugenio Fontaneda y Pérez, Eugenio's grandson, became involved in helping the town grow. In 1967, he became the president of the Center for Initiatives and Tourism in Aguilar de Campoo. His father, Rafael, passed away in 1976.
Leaders of Fontaneda
- 1881 – 1921 Eugenio Fontaneda Millán
- 1921 – 1976 Rafael Fontaneda Ibáñez
- 1976 – 1996 José Fontaneda y Pérez
See also
In Spanish: Galletas Fontaneda para niños
