The frozen food company Maheso relies on the export boom and its largest distributor muscle to reach the goal of 173 million in sales this year, after having grown 10% in 2023, to 158 million euros.
“Exports have grown by 18% in the last year and now represent 20% of total income,” comments David Aldea, CEO and member of the family that owns this firm, founded in Barcelona 45 years ago. Two thirds of the 100,000 kilos per day that leave its plant in Montcada i Reixac (Vallès Occidental) end up in one of the 37 foreign markets where they sell. The main ones are in Europe (United Kingdom, France and Portugal), although they also stand out in the United States and Asia. Their star product, traditional churros, of which they manufacture about 400,000 units a day. “We invented the first automatic churro preparation machine,” recalls Aldea.
The company will focus this year on strengthening its exports, consolidating the markets in which it is already present. “We can still gain a lot of share in them,” considers the CEO.
It has also increased its distribution network with the recent purchase of the company Iceberg 33 – the cost of the operation has not been disclosed. In this way, the company already has direct distribution in Barcelona, ??Madrid, Seville and Tortosa. The family company seeks both organic and inorganic growth, “as long as we have the capacity and with sense.” At the beginning of January 2023, they began searching for a partner to help them in their growth plans, but the process was closed in 2023 without any additions. “The options we found did not convince us,” says Aldea.
The frozen food sector is going through a good time driven by new consumer habits, says the manager. The company, which also produces for a manufacturer’s brand, has a powerful R&D department that devises new formats, such as the potato churros for dipping at any time of the day that they have just launched or the options for air fryers so fashionable in these moments. Maheso was once a pioneer in the introduction of frozen nuggets or tempura for the general public and has activated a line for the horeca channel. “Many chefs have problems finding cooks and we help them,” says Aldea.
For now, the Montcada i Reixac plant, with 20,000 m2 and nine production lines, can assume the expected growth. The company invests about seven million annually in improvements.