TGT, the mysterious abbreviation for Spain's Cheese King | a job

That was in the 1950s when Teodoro Garcia Trapadillo, a young businessman and the son of a family of textile shop owners from the Murcian town of Caravaca, decided to immigrate to Barcelona to earn a living. After trying different business initiatives, such as setting up bullrings for all kinds of shows, he decided to rent a small place to store…

That was in the 1950s when Teodoro Garcia Trapadillo, a young businessman and the son of a family of textile shop owners from the Murcian town of Caravaca, decided to immigrate to Barcelona to earn a living. After trying various business initiatives, such as setting up bullrings for all kinds of shows, he decided to rent a small place to store a wide range of cheeses, from imported to national, which he distributed with two small trucks, mainly in small shops and in restaurants.

In this small building, the TGT Group (the abbreviations that correspond to the name and surname of the founder) appeared in 1963, and today it is a leader in the cheese sector, with an annual turnover of 73,000 tons between its own brands and those manufactured for distribution. . Their turnover in 2023 reached 500 million euros thanks to the fact that in the Iberian Peninsula they have 12 own factories and two integrated factories, as well as cutting and packaging centers. They have business offices in 17 countries and sell to nearly 40 other countries. The company is now in the hands of the second generation of the García Trabadelo family.

“After the strong development that the company has experienced in recent years, especially through acquisitions, the main goal of the group at this moment is to consolidate and strengthen the commercial and industrial model,” says its General Director, Sergey Palel. “Industrial, because we have achieved significant growth in recent years, especially in terms of acquisitions, but also through improving and expanding our own factories. In commercial policy, because the origin of the company is in the sale of imported and national cheeses. Both are reasons why today we must participate and integrate In the global strategy of the group it has also become a manufacturer from a marketing company.

When importing cheese from other countries of the community, especially from Denmark, the Netherlands or Germany, soft dough products prevail. A large portion of these cheeses are made from surplus milk, allowing them to reach other markets at more competitive prices. But what gave meaning to the group was its move into manufacturing. “If you were a reference in the cheese market, it was not understood that we were limited to importing or selling national products to other people. We had to start playing in the field of national manufacturing.”

The group's strategy in highly competitive markets goes like this, as it complements its offer with different cheeses, combining the sale of processed soft cheeses, most of which are imported from other European countries, with cheeses of national origin made in its factories. “Today we are the only Spanish group that, through imports, our own production and some collaborating companies, have the ability to offer the most complete range of cheeses to be in all markets and to satisfy tastes from the most developed countries to the world. Asians or Africans.

The group took its first steps into cheese manufacturing a decade after its birth, and did so in two stages. In 1974 the first was started by A joint project With the German company Hochland without giving priority to its own brand, but rather to the distribution or production brand of other groups. This is how it has grown, both in size and in developing its own structure. Further factories have been added to the initial facilities in Barcelona to increase supply with cheese processed in Toledo, Manchego cheeses from Roncal de Navarra, cheeses from Cabrales, and Galician Mahon or Tetilla.

Between 2019 and 2022, TGT carried out investments in plant expansion and improvement worth approximately €90 million with the aim of obtaining a more competitive position. In 2020, it acquired a stake in Lácteas Cobreros in Zamora, which specializes in goat milk production. Once these investments are closed, the aim is to consolidate the industrial and commercial structure and there are no further bets planned in principle.

After the first phase of production focused more on supply volume for distribution or other companies, in 2018 the group took the step to adhere to the brand policy, both for the product manufactured at its facilities and at the facilities of collaborating companies. They have an offer of up to 2,000 references in nearly fifty brands, such as Ahuyentalobos or El Galán, and of everything they sell, 60% corresponds to national production and the rest to imports.

External market

Foreign markets constitute one of the group's pillars in the dual direction. On the one hand, because of imports from other Community countries of soft cheeses in general, of which Spain is not a large producer, and other products. means of comfort.

In 2010, TGT took the first step to market abroad, especially Spanish cheeses with a designation of origin, in markets where it has a strong presence such as Germany, the United States, Canada and the countries of Central and South America. In Asian and African countries, sales correspond to processed cheeses or creams. The group has factories in Mexico and Uruguay, as well as in Portugal. Exports represent 12% of its activity.

In the internal market, the strategy involves diversifying marketing channels. The Horeca path (hotels, restaurants and cafes) accounts for more than 37%, followed by 36% resulting from selling by pieces And more than 8% of sales are to other industries.

The Group is committed to innovation and development, actions to which it devotes just over 2% of its total turnover. Regarding the supply of raw materials, they collect more than 90 million liters of milk from about a hundred beef, 150 sheep and about 40 goat breeders, with whom they have supply contracts.

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