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The company Aceites Abril S.L. (Ltd.) is one of the leading companies on the market of olive oil production in Spain. Behind the production of every bottle of oil there is a highly skilled team of more than 50 workers, who insure that all products of Aceites Abril adhere to the highest standard of safety and quality.

History of the company
The company Aceites Abril S.L. has a long history and tradition which dates back to 1962 – the year of its foundation in Mora de Toledo (the region of La Mancha, Spain) by Manuel Gómez. At first the company operated under the name of “Pérez Delgado” and was focused on wholsale. Its activity was based on two stone press mills used to extract extra virgin olive oil, which was then bottled and distributed from the bottling plant in Ourense. In 1994 the factory was moved to the industrial area of San Cibrao das Viñas in Ourense and then it was expanded several times. Nowadays it covers the area of more than 7.000 square metres with warehouses equipped with the most modern technology to develop the procedure of bottling and selling oils. Currently, the next generation – the children of the foundator Manuel Gómez – are developing the enterprise, which has managed to spread the net of customers to more than 20 countries. Now it is a company run by three brothers and everyone is responsible for different area.

Industrial activity
Nowadays, 40 % of Aceites Abril´s production is dedicated to the market of exportation. The enterprise maintains commercial relations in five continents. Its products are present during the most important international fairs as APAS (in Brasil), Gulfood (in Dubai), Foodex (in Japan), Anuga (in Germany), IFE (in London), Sial 2010 (in Paris) and Alimentaria (in Barcelona).

Products range and packaging
Since the beginning of company’s activity on the market, its flagship product has always been the extra virgin olive oil with a fruity flavour, particularly appreciated to season different dishes. It is worth noticing that Aceites Abril S.L. offers a wide range of extra virgin olive oil, pomace oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil and special fried oil. The olive oil offered by Aceites Abril S.L. is made of special varieties of olives, which are: hojiblanca, picual, arbequina and cornicabra. Due to this fact olive oils of Aceites Abril S.L. have a distinct fruity flavour, particularly appreciated by its customers. The packaging also plays an important role in this industry. Aceites Abril S. L. distributes oil in different types of packaging: glass bottles in 250, 500, 750 ml, 1l and in plastic 1, 2, 3 and 5 litres, as well as in tins of 4 and 5 liters (mainly for foreign markets).

At present the most important products in company’s offer are: ecological extra virgin olive oil as well as monovarietal oils, which have been launched recently, having in mind particularly demanding customers. The company has elaborated few different product lines, which offer a great variety of oils, which are:

- extra virgin olive oil: pure oil, which undergoes only necessary treatment of washing, decantation, centrifugation or filtration. This olive oil is the finest, has the most intense flavour, and the best quality. The grade of acidity does not exceed of 0´5º.
- olive oil: a caombination of refined olive oil with virgin olive oil (with two different flavours: pure and mild).
- organic extra virgin olive oil: produced in coherence with requirements of ecological agriculture. This type of oil never exceed 0,4 degrees of acidity.
- pomace oil: obtained by refining crude olive-pomace oil.
- sunflower oil: obtained of the plant´s pipes.
- vegetable oil
- special oil to fry: a type of oil destinated for cooking. 

Aceites Abril S.L. is also dedicated to the bottling marketing and the sale of bottled and bulk edible oils. The process begins with the reception of the oil, which is analysed in the laboratory of quality control. The oil is bottled using the most modern machinery available, composing of seven bottling lines: six in PET-plastic formats and one in glass. The company also distributes and sells bulk oils in various container formats.

Strategy of the company
The strategy of Aceites Abril S.L. is aimed on providing high quality, which can be obtained by guaranteeing security of alimentary products. Another key factor of the company’s policy is a personalised service. The enterprise has opened the National and International Commercial Department, which maintains continuous contacts with customers which permits to discover customers’ needs and expectations towards the market. On the other hand, it passes all information related to market research to every company’s department in order to implement ably specific solutions expected by the customers. The mission of Aceites Abril S.L. consists in integrated policy of quality, environmental protection and alimentary security. It is based on two main elements, which are: the constant improvement of efficiency of quality system and environmental protection as well as compromises to provide customer’s satisfaction. During last years new companies have been incorporated in order to reinforce exportation department which maintains close relations with every client in order to recognise his needs. The important strategy is also to maintain a direct post-sale service in order to be always close to the customer.

Key reasons of success
The most important factor of success of Aceites Abril is the fact that it provides the customers with a well-designed product, able to be competitive on the international market. The company’s strategy leading to success is selling many products with a low margin. The company managed to gain customers’ confidence, confirmed by two certificates ISO 9001:2000 and Medioambiental ISO 14001:2004 obtained in 2006. Recently, in response to the needs of the market, the enterprise has managed to obtain other certificates of quality: IFS (the French one) and BRC (the British one). Aceites Abril S.L. is appreciated because of its tradition of family-run company, with a well established position on the market for more than 50 years.

Current situation and environmental policy
The crisis didn’t influence the company’s economical situation in the same way as other enterprises, however it had to cut down margins on prices. During the crisis the private brands of distributors develop their position, which force others to reduce prices in order to be competitive on the market. It should be emphasised that an important part of the company’s policy is a respect towards environment. Aceites Abril S.L. thinks that this is a key factor for every firm in order to survive. Taking in consideration these principles, the company took some steps planning to prevent and reduce contamination as well as to promote recycling.

Future plans
Among many other plans for fututre, the one is to make Galician olive grove reappear. It has been planned very carefully for a long time. In January 2011 first olives will be picked, and the first harvest will be in 2011 in the area of 25 hectares planted by Aceites Abril few years ago in Paderne, Barbadás, Petín y Verín. The company’s interest in this type of production is due to Portuguese producers who called one type of olives “Galician” and from that moment some research related to their origin and evolutions was made. As a result olives from the variety called “arbequina” were planted in 2006 in the area of Paderne.

Being competitve on the market
The aim of the company Aceites Abril is to improve constantly their products already during the phase of design, which should be adopted to the taste of people from different countries. Before exportation the company always examines alimentary habits and adopts labels and packaging to them. For instance, for Japanese market the company designed a specific label, and currently it is working on a new gourmet line, designed for consumers which put their attention to the esthetics. Moreover, the enterprise has its own group of tasters working hard on choosing the best fruity oils for exportation.

Development on the international market
According to the expectations, the company’s growth will by increasing with the rhythm of 14%. Aceites Abril S.L. can be regarded as a partner able to collaborate efficiently on the international market with all the companies which sell olive oil on the local markets. Aceits Abril S.L. is a strong enterprise, having the international caracter, directed towards a customer and his needs. It is a company formed by young people, which are highly qualified and strongly motivated employees. In the commercial department work people of different nationalities with international professional experience. That is the reason why they can perfectly understand different cultural and national backgrounds, which help them to design the best service to the customers. Summarising it can be stated that Aceites Abril S.L. is the enterprise which invests in modernisation and improvement of alimentary security, obtaining the highest marks in certificates. It is spreading in the world basing on the standards of quality, which is a basis of modern industrial management and production. 

Written by Berenika Wilczyńska

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