Paco Tutzó: "The salvation of Sa Formatgera has been the consequence of a choral effort"

CiutadellaThe president of Quesería Menorquina, Paco Tutzó Bennásar (Maó, 1940), is the living witness and driving force behind the legacy left by the founder, Pedro Montañés, at the old El Caserío cheese factory in Menorca. Gold Medal of the Autonomous Community and one of the fathers of the Statute, he can finally breathe easy. After two decades of initiatives and business alliances, he has managed to guarantee the future, in the medium and long term, of the historic curd and processed cheese factory in Maó. The former president of the Consell de Menorca, who saved the company after Kraft's departure and survived the passage of Ruiz Mateos' Rumasa through the island, has found in the new Balearic investors who have relaunched the factory the necessary guarantee to continue the production started almost a century ago. A success worthy of the Economic Initiative award granted by ARA Balears. "It is a distinction that I deeply appreciate," he says. "ARA Balears has shown itself to be sensitive to the efforts of people who fight so that the productive fabric of a territory, in this case an island, does not disappear."

Can it be said that, with the entry of Eduard Soriano and the new management of recent years, the old El Caserío factory has been definitively saved?

— Mr. Soriano's entry has not brought about any change in the management team. The CEO remains Jesús Esparza, who took on the role when we acquired it. In fact, his management, along with that of the entire team, has been fundamental during these 15 years. Eduard Soriano's incorporation into the shareholding of Quesería Menorquina occurred in 2021, during the second capital increase. Personally, it was a gesture I greatly appreciated, because it demonstrated two things: on the one hand, that the people leading the project deserved his trust, and on the other, I saw that the company had a future and that the primary sector and the economy of Menorca could not afford to lose a company that was the heir of the iconic company Industrial Quesera Menorquina (IQM).

Are you satisfied with having achieved it, after the long road since Kraft's departure?

— Naturally. Keep in mind that only 2% of companies in bankruptcy proceedings avoid liquidation. And I also feel very proud, because the salvation of Sa Formatgera (as we popularly know it) has been the consequence of a collective effort that has had the participation of the workers, the management team and the new investors, who in complicated moments risked their resources to underpin the continuity of the factory.

At some point did you think it had no solution?

— I always had faith. I knew that if we managed to acquire the company from the Ruiz Mateos, the workers and the management team would save the company. The human team at QueseríaMenorquina was very strong, as has been proven. But the entry of the new partners has also been decisive in strengthening the company's financial situation.

How was the recovery?

— After all the efforts made since we took over the company in 2011, it was necessary to strengthen its financial structure. For this reason, we sought external resources and, at this time, both the Menorcan businessmen and later Mr. Soriano trusted the management that had been carried out and the company's future plans. His entry marked a turning point in our recent history.

When you took on the challenge with Eduard Soriano, the war in Ukraine broke out, and now there is the one in the Middle East. How does it influence it?

— Thanks to the second capital increase in 2022, we definitively settled the insolvency agreement and exited the creditors' process. The war in Ukraine caused an accelerated and unforeseen increase in the cost of raw materials, which led to a moment of great instability due to the inability to pass on costs to our clients with the necessary speed. At that time, the financial support of the new partners was vital. Since 2023, we have achieved positive results. Last year, we closed a good fiscal year with a turnover exceeding 50 million euros and an operating gross profit of 4 million.

What remains in the new Quesería Menorquina from what was the original El Caserío?

— At the presentation of the ARA Balears award, it was said that “there are companies that are much more than a brand. They are part of the living collective memory of a people, of its economic landscape and the lives of generations of workers”. We are very proud that Sa Formatgera can continue its journey towards its centenary. Maintaining the legacy of the great visionary and businessman Pedro Montañés Villalonga, founder of Industrial Quesera Menorquina, is the best recognition. But, also, the great asset of this factory has always been its human team. With this, everything has been said.

The Caserío (farmhouse) became at the end of the last century almost the monoculture of the island's primary sector. What weight does it have today for the Menorcan countryside?

— El Caserío in its time was the great boom of the livestock sector in Menorca and currently, already as Quesería Menorquina, we are the regulation valve for milk-producing farms. We collect one third of the milk produced in Menorca in the form of curd and we take care of all the surpluses. For example, during the pandemic we were able to absorb all the milk production that at that time had been left without commercial outlet.

Do you plan to stock up on more places?

— We are working to expand our product range. It is part of a medium-term project, but we are on the right track.

What is the main clientele and competition in the manufacturing industry?

— Our main clients belong to large distribution; we are present in practically all of Spain and Portugal. In Menorca, brands like Coinga are not our competition. In fact, the relationship with Coinga is good and sometimes, even, they manufacture raw material for us.

Do you still think it would be possible to recover the original El Caserío brand?

— At this moment it is not the main priority. However, we are open to acquiring this important intangible asset if the opportunity arises.