It is said that Murcia is the orchard of Europe, although it is also the kingdom of sweets: it exports one in every three sweets produced in Spain and is home to more than 60 companies in the sector. But the municipality of Molina de Segura, just over 10 kilometers from the capital of Murcia and with just over 70,000 inhabitants, is undoubtedly the promised land of those with a sweet tooth as it is home to the most important companies in the sector: The Fini Company ( until 2021 Fini Golosinas), which was founded in 1971 by Manuel Sánchez Cano as an artisanal chewing gum factory. They innovated by launching reel (rolled) gum and with which they achieved their first sales success as it was a product that did not exist until then, which placed it among the greats. Today, this family-owned multinational has Antonio Andrés Sánchez, one of the founder's sons, as president, who shares the shareholding with his brother Manuel (they share 30% of the capital each) and with his sisters Josefa and Encarnación (a 20% each). In 2022, more than 90 million kilos of candy left its two factories (Molina de Segura and Brasil), distributed mainly in three categories: jelly beans, marshmallow (also known as clouds) and licorice. , their star product, which they boast of being world leaders in sales. “We have gone beyond the classic and every year dozens of new products come out, which rejuvenates the market and gives us notoriety. We were the first company in the world to launch it gluten-free. It is a product that still has a long way to go,” says Antonio Andrés Sánchez, president of the company. With more than 1,350 employees in Spain and more than 2,500 in the world, “all direct and almost 100% permanent staff,” in 2022 Its turnover reached 372 million euros, 43% more than a year before, with an EBITDA of 67 million euros, more than double that of the previous year. “We aim for the sun to reach the moon,” Sánchez emphasizes. An exercise of aim with which they intend to exceed 470 million euros in sales in 2023 and for which each year they invest between 20 and 30 million euros in R&D and infrastructure. Some figures that have their product in jelly beans star, followed by licorice and the rest of the categories such as clouds, chewing gum, hard candies or kosher, halal (for Jews and Muslims, respectively), vegan or celiac sweets. Products that are sold 80% under the Fini brand while the rest are sold under different distributor brands. This is a section that, from Fini, they do not consider key: “It does not excite us, but it is a support that opens a market or a client. It means less and less weight,» says the manager. In Spain, The Fini Company claims to have 35% of the market share, despite the fact that, as Sánchez indicates, it is a difficult figure to obtain since consulting firms do not measure the called “impulse channel” (convenience stores, kiosks…) and that is where they sell the most, “it is an estimate, almost a shot in the air.” Over the next four years, the multinational has proposed doubling its size, both in volume as in billing. The aspiration is, above all, for organic growth, although months ago it considered inorganic growth. “The company, in its desire to grow, studied as an option to join an investment group that would add value to growth. After designing the plan and seeing that we had the capacity to develop it, we decided to do it alone. From there, we are open to acquisition opportunities, but without the help of investment groups, and always looking at firms in our sector,» he emphasizes. The management of the company's stores also had a change of script, of which it is only still in foot that of Murcia. “They were closed because we managed it directly and we are not specialists. In addition, it was entering into competition with your clients.” Even so, in Latin America they do have an expansion plan underway for franchise stores in countries such as Brazil or Chile.
To the rhythm of samba
If Molina de Segura is the paradise for candy lovers, Brazil, the country where they arrived in 2000 to found their second factory, is Fini's paradise. It was a tough bet and today it has become his philosopher's stone. “We chose Brazil because there was no product category like ours. It was a difficult path because the public had to be convinced, but it has paid off. In fact, they call the sweets Fini like Danone yogurts here,” says Sánchez. Of the company's total production, almost half is made in Brazil and 95% is consumed in the country. It assumes a market share of 73%, with “dentures” (soft candies shaped like teeth) as the best-selling candy. «In this country Fini is everywhere, in Formula 1, on the airlines, Nestlé manufactures a line of ice creams with our brand, even the flip-flops on the beach are called Fini.» The path to success led them to diversify their products. and launch Dr Good, a line of vitamin supplements for children and adults, which for now is only in Brazil. “We take advantage of the push to create different references. «It opened the doors of the market for us,» he points out. Faced with high local consumption in Brazil, only 20% of its production remains in Spain. The rest is destined for more than 100 countries, among which Latin America stands out. “We want to expand the market, our ceiling is the world. We are considering everything, but Asia and Africa are the pending subjects,” explains the manager. They currently have eight subsidiaries spread across France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, and one that is starting to operate in Belgium. “Our growth will be through subsidiaries, not through third parties.” On the other hand, The Fini Company has launched a sustainability project (for now only in the Spanish factory), with an investment of 10 million euros, to reduce its CO2 emissions, to save energy and reduce water consumption. In 2022, it has also reduced plastic waste by 11% and is committed to reaching 63% of single-material packaging (easier to recycle than those made with a mixture of several components). In this sustainability race, health also plays an asset. important. Faced with the problem of overeating of sugar in our country, especially in children and adolescents, the company from Molina has reduced sugar by 30% in some of its products, but, according to the manager, “our objective is to present the best experience possible, for this a candy has to have flavor, below that it is no longer a candy, it is something else.» Follow all the information from Economy and Business on Facebook and xor in our weekly newsletter
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