Goya Foods facts for kids
"If it's Goya, it has to be good"
Si es Goya, tiene que ser bueno |
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Goya Headquarters (Jersey City, 2018)
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food industry |
| Founded | 1936 in New York City |
| Founders | Prudencio Unanue Ortiz |
| Headquarters |
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
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Area served
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United States Dominican Republic Puerto Rico Spain |
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Key people
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Robert Unanue (CEO) |
| Products | Spanish and Latin American cuisine |
| Revenue | $1.5 billion |
| Owner | Unanue Family |
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Number of employees
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4,000 |
Goya Foods, Inc. is a large American company that makes and sells food and drinks. They sell their products in the United States and many Spanish-speaking countries. Goya has factories and offices in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Spain. The Unanue family, who are Spanish-American, still own the company. It is run by the third generation of the family and its main office is in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The company was started in 1936 by Prudencio Unanue Ortiz and Carolina Casal de Valdez. They were a married couple from Spain who moved to New York City. When Prudencio passed away in 1976, the company was worth about $8.5 million. His sons, Joseph, Charles, Francisco, and Anthony, took over. Under Joseph's leadership, Goya grew into a very big company. By 1998, it made about 800 different food items and had 2,000 employees. In 2004, Robert Unanue, Anthony's son, became the new CEO. At that time, Goya was making over $1 billion in sales each year.
Contents
The Story of Goya Foods
Goya Foods began in New York City in 1936. It was founded by Prudencio Unanue Ortiz, who was from Spain. Before this, he had moved to Puerto Rico. There, he met and married Carolina Casal, who was also from Spain. The family had a small store in Puerto Rico called "Unanue and Sons" starting in 1922.
Prudencio bought the name "Goya" from a company that sold sardines. He thought his own last name was too hard for American customers to say. He also liked that the name "Goya" reminded people of the famous Spanish artist Francisco Goya.
Growing the Company
When Prudencio Unanue passed away in 1976, his sons, Joseph, Charles, Francisco, and Anthony, took over Goya. Joseph A. Unanue became the president and CEO. At that time, Goya was an $8.5 million company. Joseph shared control with his brother Francisco, who was in charge of Goya de Puerto Rico Inc. This part of the company handled many of Goya's manufacturing operations.
Under Joseph A. Unanue's leadership, Goya became a very large company. By 1998, Goya had 2,000 employees. They made about 800 different food products, including rice, beans, sauces, and spices. The company's sales were around $700 million a year.
New Leadership and Growth
In 2004, Joseph A. Unanue stepped down as chairman and CEO. This happened because of disagreements within the Unanue family about the company's future. At that time, Goya's yearly sales were between $750 million and over $1 billion. Robert Unanue, who is Anthony's son, became the new chief executive in 2004.
In 2012, Goya started building a large new distribution center. This center cost $127 million and is located in Jersey City. The state of New Jersey helped the company with tax benefits to support this move.
What Goya Sells
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Goya makes and sells many different products. These foods are inspired by Spanish, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Mexican, Cuban, and Central and South American cooking. You can find their products in stores and supermarkets across the United States, including Puerto Rico. They also sell their products in other countries. In 2006, Forbes magazine listed Goya as one of the largest private companies in the U.S.
Between 2014 and 2016, Goya opened five new facilities. These included places for making and distributing products. They are located in New Jersey, Texas, California, and Georgia. This expansion helped Goya meet the growing demand for their foods. Today, Goya Foods' main office is on a 40-acre property in Jersey City, New Jersey. Goya also has a factory in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. They have a distribution center in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
Goya's Community Work
Goya Gives Back
"Goya Gives" is a special program where Goya helps different charities and events. They also give scholarships to students. As part of this program, Goya donates food to shelters and food banks. They do this especially during times of need, like after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. In March and April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Goya donated over 300,000 pounds of food. This was enough for about 270,000 meals. They also gave more than 20,000 protective masks to help people.
Healthy Eating Campaign
In 2012, Goya joined a healthy eating program called "My Plate." This program was led by then-First Lady Michelle Obama. The goal was to encourage people to eat healthier foods.
Public Discussions and Goya
In July 2020, Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue spoke at a meeting with President Donald Trump. He praised President Trump, saying the country was "truly blessed" to have him as a leader.
These comments led to some people calling for a public boycott of Goya products. A boycott means people stop buying a company's products to show their disapproval. Some public figures, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lin-Manuel Miranda, supported this boycott. Robert Unanue said that this was an attempt to stop him from speaking his mind. He did not apologize for his comments. In response, some people started a "buycott" to support Goya. A buycott means people actively buy products to show support. Goya also used its social media to highlight its promise to donate food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later, in December 2020, Unanue joked that Ocasio-Cortez was named "employee of the month." He said this because her call for a boycott had actually caused Goya's sales to go up a lot. In January 2021, Goya's board of directors voted to tell Unanue to stop talking to the media. This happened after he made statements about the 2020 United States presidential election. Some people on the board felt his statements were not good for the company.
In April 2023, a professor from Cornell University said that the boycott efforts against Goya had not worked. She said that Goya's sales had actually increased. She explained that boycotts are usually short-lived. In Goya's case, sales went up because new customers started buying their products.
See also
In Spanish: Goya Foods para niños
- La Costeña (food company)
