It was not an easy decision, but a little over a year ago Felix Gullón (52) thought that the time had come to pass and leave behind Aguilar de Campo and the cookie factory that raised his great-grandfather Manuel.
There he worked for 17 years.
“It cost me a lot to decide, it has given me a lot to leave and I have thrown many tears, but it was a time when I was going to lose health, I’m clear that I’m not going to spend my life fighting and now I’m happy,” confesses the entrepreneur
That, together with his wife, María Santana, has ridden her own business in Jaén.
Of cookies, of course, because it is what he knows how to do.
The little one in the Gullon saga closed seven months ago the purchase of the SIRO cereal factory, with 140 employees and a production capacity of 30 million kilos.
The Palentine businessman and the woman of him have called Family Biscuits to the company of him, with whom they want to revolutionize the market.
In addition to the SIRO (Mercadona supplier) cookies that are committed to manufacturing for three years as part of the agreement, Family Biscuits has already launched four ranges of cookies elaborated with natural ingredients.
And before the end of the year, four more will come out, although Felix does not want to let go.
He only advances that they are “revolutionary” cookies.
At the moment, the star of his business is Maria del Sur.
He left the oven in June and is the only one in the market elaborated with 12% extra virgin olive oil.
“Maria is very devalued, it is time to make a good cookie,” the entrepreneur sentences, says, does not intend to make the competition to the other guillon, those who follow in Aguilar de Campoo.
Like his three older brothers, he has a 4.5% of actions and has no intention of selling them.
“Gullón is the heritage of my children, I hope and I want it to do very well because it is my family. In fact, I have not taken anyone from there, I have trained my own team,” says Loc in the middle of a trip in
Car to Madrid.
Several meetings await you before putting your town to give a talk at your school, the Menesians, and visit your mother.
He does not like to talk about family wars and he says he is tired of the ‘discolo’ or ‘rebel’ label that has hung some means.
Upside up, he argues that he has left with the blessing of Maria Teresa Rodríguez, Telle, the matriarch and owner of Gullón (with 60% of the actions), and that he bears phenomenal with his three brothers: Hernán, Rubén and
Lourdes.
She is now the president of the company after the withdrawal of María Teresa, in June 2019. “My mother prays every day so that I do well. The break has not been traumatic, what happens is that we did not understand.
I’ve been because it’s the best for Gullón. ”
His march has ended the struggle for the control of the company, which billed 400 million last year.
Conflicts that have faced the matriarch, to the children of her and a businessman with a lot of power, the CEO and General Director, Juan Miguel Martínez Gabaldón.
The influence and power of the CEO of Gullón, which has 20% of the actions after several acquisitions, is the origin of all family disputes.
The strong man of the Galleta entered the company in 1986. Three years before the death of José Manuel Gullón, Félix’s father, in a traffic accident had occurred.
He was 40 years old and the death of him supposed a clasp for the company.
Against all odds, her woman, a housewife with four children and no business experience, became in front of the Gallette with the help of her brothers.
It was they who hired Gabaldón as director of the factory.
The influence of him over the matriarch was growing over the years and his race has been brilliant.
On the way, there are traumatic episodes, such as the dismissal of Gabaldón (he recovered the position of him after a compensation of 9 million euros) and the expulsion of the mother of the presidency of the company.
After a surrealist board inside a car María Teresa was named only administrator and restored her trusting man.
“My mother has bet on him but I think he is very badly advised, he is a very ambitious man and he has given him too much power, my sister is now the president, but they are using it, is he who commands, and my brothers every time painting
Less. He, on the other hand, already has two of his children working in the company, “he says.
It remains a great defender of family companies but “well-organized. They have to be professionalized and fulfill a family protocol”, something that aspires with Family Biscuits, who hopes to leave his three children.
Despite the slam, it does not rule out again to return Gullón.
“Why not? If there is a consensus and things are done well, I would pose it, but they would have to change many things, while, I will do my way,” she ditched.