– 1944 –

The married couple comprised by Facundo and Mª Dolores start their business activity roasting peanuts and hazelnuts inside the backroom of the grocery shop in Villada (Palencia).

– 50’s –

1950 – Installation of the first motor in the
coffee roasters, which until then, were operated manually by rotatíng a crank.

FACUNDO went to the 1^st County Fair with his donkey named Baldomero,
this becoming the first marketing action which created lots of attention at the fair.

1954 – Facundo and Lola started to roast seeds inside the backroom of the grocery shop.

1957 – The couple bought in Germany the first imported packing machine in Spain, which they used to pack the seeds costing 1 peseta.

1958 – Facundo developed a revolutionary system within seed roasting: Water-salt roasting.

1968 – They move their activity from the family backroom to a new building with a surface area of 2000 m² situated on the outskirts of Villada where modern installations for the entire production process are put ínto operation: Cleaning, classification, roasting, specific frying machines for nuts (Quititos) and packing.

1969 – José Luís de los Santos joins Facundo as Manufacturing Director of the group of companies

FACUNDO starts external advertising with signs on delivery vans as well as
advertising on local radios, coinciding with the main bullfighting festivities.

– 70’s –

1970 – The second generation joined the company and FACUNDO become a Public Limited Company named Facundo Blanco S. A. New Technological improvements were introduced, mainly in the reception of raw materials storage, silos, drying machines, clarification and cleaníng.

1972 – With the aim of guaranteeing an exhaustive selection process of seeds, the company purchased some facilities in the town of El Coronil in Seville, precedent of the success that supposed the selection of seeds by quality and sizes.

1975 – FACUNDO starts the manufacture of extruded products made of cereals for snacks.

1976 – Creation of its own distribution network in Palencia, Valladolid and Burgos for the Impulse Channel. The public limited
company “Los Girasoles S.A” is created.

– 80’s –

1980 – The delivery system by its own fleet of
lorries are replaced with new and modern road trains with interchangeable isothermal vans to be able to reach each customer-wholesaler quickly and preserving the good from the heat, in spite of the fact that many of them are
still located in the centre of the towns.

1985 – The company modernises and mechanises the salting system so the salted seeds are safely discharged by means of transport system that does not damage or break the product during its transit to the roasting process.

A new conservation system is incorporated into the entire range of nuts. This process carries out a sweep of the oxygen in the bags, replacing it with inert gas to prevent oxidation of the products with time, using new materials to achieve the required efficacy, with a greater barrier to keep products fresh
for longer.

That same year. FACUNDO launches the famous Corn Chaskis and then other extruded products made of cereal, all of which are very successful products.

1989 –On the 2 August the Chairman and Co-founder, Facundo Blanco Calleja,passes away in an environment of recognition ard social tribute.

– 90’s –

1990 – The town of Villada dedicates a street to the recently deceased founder.

1991 – Mª Dolores de la Fuente, widower of Facundo Blanco is awarded the Medal for Merit of Work granted by their Excellencies Ministers of Labour and Relation with the Parliament. This award is granted for the effort and work of its founder since the start of the creation of wellnesss and employment for her fellow countrymen and women,
this being handed in the location of Villada, the company headquarters.

1995 – The Town Council of Villada pays a tribute to Mª Dolores de la Fuente Pérez granting her the town’s Gold
Medal in appreciation for the 51 years of uninterrupted activity at the front of Facundo Blanco, S.A. During her homage, Facundo Blanco’s widower, surrounded by her children and relatives was also named adoptive daughter of the town of Villadina in acknowledgment for her professional task.

1999 – The company starts trading in the retail sector, creating a specific líne of products for this purpose and with great acceptance, taking advantage of the
brand’s quality synergy backed by the impulse sector.

Onset of the substitution of the presentation system, changing from the classical Facundo bag, with its stiff handle transported in metal cages, to a cardboard display box system (micro-channel-3), which can be placed on pallets, thus improving their display at the Point of Sale, increasing tthe bag protection and permitting the homogenisation of the vehicle loads.

– The 2000s –

Processes began to be automated, from the installation of a modern pneumatic transport system between the salting, roasting and packing of the nuts, to the automation of the boxing up and palleting processes.

A continuous system frying roaster was acquired, which allowed a new range of nuts to be created without damaging the product and a vacuum fryer was built which permits frying at a lower temperature and maintaining the properties of the product.

2006 – In 2006, two relevant events occurred at the same time: the tragic accident on the rails next to the Facundo factory where all our employees went to the rescue of the victims, turning the factory into a field hospital. For this incident, the company was awarded the civil merit medal in gratitude for the sacrifice and dedication of Facundo staff.

In addition, Mª Dolores de la Fuente, the co-founder of the company and its heart and soul, a medal of merit to work and a great person, passed away.

– The 2010s –

The third generation of the family entered the company, thus guaranteeing the company’s continuity by signing a family protocol which allowed the foundations of the future governance of the company to be established.

2010 – FACUNDO FOR EVERYONE

Facundo had all their products included in the white book published by FACE, a reference for many people with celiac disease when buying products, and is also on Greenpeace’s green list because all its products are free from GM. Likewise, the the Spanish Heart Foundation endorses Facundo’s salt-free products recommending their products for people with hypertension.

In this decade, Facundo obtained the IFS quality certification which fulfils one of the most demanding standards regarding food security, the quality of the facilities and productive processes.

2010 – INNOVATION

Facundo develops several innovative elements such as the Facundoleras, a double bag for throwing away the sunflower seeds shells, looking out for the environment, and Facundo Fresh, an oxygen absorber which prevents nuts from becoming rancid.

2012/16 – AWARDS

Facundo received several awards such as the best radio ad in 2012 at Smile Festival, the award for best extruded snack in 2014 for their Onion-flavoured Rings, the award for the best Facebook page in the TNS Fan Awards in 2014, the award for the best App in the Digital Competitiveness awards in 2016 and the award for the most innovative snack with their Chocolate Crakis in 2016.

2012 – MUNDO FACUNDO

Facundo launched the platform Mundo Facundo, a pioneering promotional space where you can redeem the QR codes found on the packets, with the aim of getting closer to the consumers and enhancing brand value. Facundo Solidario, the brand’s cornerstone of social commitment where the points obtained from the products can be redeemed for benefits to the NGOs we collaborate with, is found on the platform.

– The 2020s –

Facundo turns 75 years old, focussing on the development of new products, innovation and corporate social responsibility as the company’s central cornerstones.

2020 – Vicente Villagrá Blanco, company president and also president of the chamber of commerce in Palencia, a well-known, highly esteemed person, respected by everyone who knew him, passed away.

Cuori, snacks with 60% less fat than traditional snacks, oven-baked and made with natural ingredients, were launched.