The Sánchez Sánchez family, founders and owners of the company Jamones Aljomar, has been awarded the XVII Family Business Award of Castilla y León, which is given annually by the Family Business Association of Castilla y León (EFCL) to recognize the effort and work of a business family in the Autonomous Community.
In its decision, adopted unanimously, the jury especially valued the unique trajectory of this company and its founders, Alfonso Sánchez Bernal and Mª Carmen Sánchez Álvarez, who began their activity first with a small family grocery store in the Seville neighborhood of Triana where they sold products from their native Salamanca, to, in 1992, build a ham and sausage factory in Guijuelo, giving rise to Jamones Aljomar.
Since then, and after 25 years of activity, Jamones Aljomar has positioned itself among the 10 largest producers in Spain, also having a great international presence in more than 30 countries around the world, a factor that is also taken into account by the jury in its decision.
Currently, Aljomar has an annual turnover of €32 million and generates more than 300 direct and indirect jobs within its group of companies, which includes Jamones Aljomar, the Vera Vieja farm, and the El Navazo slaughterhouse, of which it is a partner. The group's overall turnover exceeds €80 million, with steady growth in recent years.
The ruling also highlights Jamones Aljomar's commitment to quality and R&D, with the development of new products and major projects. This includes two challenges they are currently working on: a range of healthy cured meats and a production line for organic products.
It also highlights the importance that the Sánchez Sánchez family places on the values of a family business, such as perseverance, humility, and honesty, which are reflected in their brand image.
Furthermore, it highlights the constant collaboration of the company and the family in numerous social actions, which will be reflected in the upcoming constitution of a foundation that would bear the name of María del Carmen Sánchez, co-founder of the company, a person very committed to her environment and to disadvantaged people.
Furthermore, the concern for the continuity of the family business, with the incorporation of the second generation into the management of the company and the existence of a family protocol, is also another factor that has made the founders of Jamones Aljomar deserving of the XVII Family Business Award of Castilla y León.
The jury for the 17th edition of the Castilla y León Family Business Award was composed of Ángel del Pozo, from the Business Area of the Territorial Directorate of Unicaja Banco, the entity sponsoring this edition, as well as Carlos Martín Tobalina, Deputy Minister of Economy and Competitiveness; Imelda Rodríguez, Rector of the European University Miguel de Cervantes of Valladolid; David Esteban, Secretary General of CECALE; Víctor García, Director of the Regional Council of Chambers of Commerce; José Luis Zurro, partner at Garrigues; Alberto Cagigas, Director of the magazine Castilla y León Económica, and Jesús Zarzuela, member of the Zarzuela family, owner of Zarzuela SA, which was awarded in the previous edition.
Handover Ceremony
The award will be presented to the Sánchez Sánchez family on November 29th at a special gala to be held at the Auditorium of the Science Museum of Valladolid, sponsored by Unicaja Banco.
During the gala, the 5th Comunica Award will also be presented, with which family business owners recognize the work of the media in defending the values of the family business, and the 5th Academy Award, created by EFCL to highlight the teaching and research work on this type of company.
The gala will also be the setting for the awarding of the VI Fórum Junior Prize, a drawing competition with which EFCL wants to involve the youngest in what it means to belong to a business family and to bring them closer to the values inherent in this type of company.
The award
Created by EFCL in 2001, the Castilla y León Family Business Award is an annual event and was the first of its kind established in the country.
With it, the association recognizes the business trajectory of a business family from Castilla y León and its family unity, with special attention to the origin and historical evolution of the company, its internationalization, generational continuity, the existence of rules that regulate family-business relations, the jobs created and the prestige and business recognition.
In previous editions, the award went to the Pascual family (Calidad Pascual), the Llorente family (Grupo Collosa), the Álvarez Mezquíriz family (Grupo Eulen), the del Valle family (Hullera Vasco-Leonesa), the Pérez family (Grupo Helios), the Ovejero family (Laboratorios Ovejero), the Arias family (Indal), the Rodríguez family (Grupo MRS), the Villar family (Grupo Villar), the Vega family (Grupo Incosa), the Tejedor Lázaro family (Grupo Dibaq), the Escudero family (Bio3), the González Serna-Urbán family (Grupo Siro), the Antolín family (Grupo Antolín), the Ruiz Aragoneses family (Restaurante José María) and the Zarzuela family (Zarzuela SA), the winner in the last edition.
Founded in June 1997 with the aim of working to promote the continuity of family businesses in the region, EFCL is made up of more than 150 family businesses from across the community that are leaders in their respective sectors, whose total turnover is equivalent to 21% of GDP and employ 9% of the employed population of Castilla y León in the private sector.
