Grupo Arcor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Grupo Arcor

Arcor main plant in Arroyito
Type	Public (S.A.I.C.)
Founded	5 July 1951; 74 years ago (1951-07-05)
Founder	Fulvio Pagani
Headquarters	Arroyito, Córdoba , Argentina
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Luis Pagani (Chairman & CEO)
Products	Confection
Brands	Chocolate Aguila Bagley
Revenue	3.2 billion USD (2015)
Subsidiaries	Mastellone Hnos.

Grupo Arcor is a big food company from Argentina. It makes lots of yummy treats like candies, chocolates, cookies, and ice cream. The company started on July 5, 1951, in a city called Arroyito in Argentina. Arcor has 39 factories across Latin America. It is the world's number one maker of hard candies! It's also one of the top ten candy makers in the world. In Argentina, Arcor is the biggest producer of packaged foods. Its products are sold in more than 120 countries around the globe. In 2012, many business experts thought Arcor was the most valuable company in Argentina.

The Story of Arcor: How It Grew

Starting Small in Arroyito

The first Arcor plant in Arroyito, Córdoba, 1958

Arcor began on July 5, 1951. A group of friends, whose parents came from Italy, opened their first candy factory. This factory was in Arroyito, a city in Córdoba Province. The Pagani family members, Amos, Renzo, Fulvio, and Elio, were the main founders. They named their new company "Arcor." This name came from "Arroyito" (Ar) and "Córdoba" (Cor). There were 23 people in total who invested in the company.

Learning from Early Exports

Arcor first sent its products to the United States in 1968. They sent milk candies, but without keeping them cold. Because of this, the candies arrived in the U.S. completely melted! Arcor made things right by paying back all the costs to their partners. This was an important lesson for the company.

Growing Bigger and Buying Other Brands

By 1958, Arcor was making 60,000 kilograms of candy every day. They also started making many different kinds of products. Arcor kept growing across South America. In 1995, they opened a large candy factory in Peru.

To become even stronger, Arcor bought "Chocolates Águila" in 1993. Águila was a very old chocolate maker from Argentina, started in 1880. It was famous for its chocolate bars. Arcor added many new products to the Águila brand, like ice cream, alfajores, and even candies.

In 1994, Arcor bought another old company called "Noel & Cia. Ltda. S.A." Noel was known for its jellies and chocolates. Four years later, Arcor bought "Lía," a company that made cookies. They also opened the Arcor Museum in Arroyito that same year. In 1999, Arcor Group bought "Dos en Uno." This was a top candy and chocolate company in Chile.

Working with Other Companies

By 2003, Arcor was earning a lot of money and had 13,000 employees. In 2004, Arcor teamed up with a big French company called Danone. Together, they took over Bagley, which made crackers and cookies. This partnership made Arcor–Danone the biggest cookie maker in South America. Arcor owned 51% of Bagley, and Danone owned 49%. This team-up was only for cookies. Both companies continued their other businesses separately.

Facing Challenges and Expanding More

Around 2001, Argentina faced some tough economic times. Arcor was affected, but they managed to fix their financial problems by 2008. During these years, Arcor also bought Benvenuto SACI in 2005. This company owned the popular La Campagnola brand. With this purchase, Arcor started making canned foods like tuna, tomatoes, and peas. At that time, Benvenuto had 2,000 employees who joined the Arcor team. By then, Arcor had 14,000 employees in Argentina.

Arcor Group also expanded into Europe. In 2002, they opened offices in Barcelona, Spain, to sell their products there.

Arcor's Brands and Products

Arcor store on Avenida Corrientes in Buenos Aires

Sonrisas cookie, with its characteristic smiling face

As of August 2021, Arcor Group's Foodstuff Division makes products in more than 12 different categories. These include jams, fruit paste, sauces, canned tomatoes, canned vegetables, canned fish, drinks, and more.

Here is a list of some of the brands and products made or sold by Arcor:

See also

In Spanish: Arcor para niños

• La Serenísima (subsidiary)
• Melville Sewell Bagley