Primaflor, one of Almeria's largest food companies, based in the municipality of Pulpí, has closed the purchase of a salad factory in Leon and has recorded a six fold increase in its business profit in 2015.
The company, founded by Lorenzo Belmonte in 1972, has reached 147 million Euro in turnover, 14% more than in the previous year, and has earned a record profit of 6.7 million Euro, which is six fold the result achieved a year earlier.
The key to this lies in the improvement of its trade margins with higher value added products, such as salads and other processed foods. A few months ago, Primaflor closed the acquisition of the Leon-based firm Ensaladas Verdes, which has facilities with an area of 13,000 square metres in the municipality of Villarejo de Órbigo.
The investment in this acquisition, which will help it become established in the north of the country, together with the expansion of the salad factory in Las Canalejas, in Cuevas del Almanzora, has totalled approximately 3 million Euro.
Baza and Guadix
A year ago, as part of its expansion strategy, the food group, which employs more than 2,000 people during the peak harvest period (between October and January) started producing iceberg lettuce in England during the summer months to be able to close the annual supply cycle. Primaflor has over 6,500 hectares devoted to vegetable production in Almeria, with properties also in Baza and Guadix, in Granada, for the spring and summer campaign. It also has its own garlic production in Las Pedroñeras, Cuenca, which is the world's garlic capital.
This campaign, Primaflor has launched new salad bowls, its flagship product, together with fresh lettuce, and a range of vegetables ready to be cooked in the microwave. Another consolidated product is Pak Choi, an Asian vegetable that is similar to chards and is grown with hydroponic irrigation.
The firm currently sells 12 million kilos of salad (and expects to reach 15 million this season) and 150 million pieces of lettuce, of which 70% goes to the retail industry and the rest to the HoReCa and wholesale markets.
