It all started back
in 1937, in a town called Pinar del Rio, Cuba. That was
the year our grandfather Sixto C. Ferro and some of his
brothers decided they would make the Guava Paste ("Pasta
de Guayaba") they sold at their general store, instead
of purchasing it from others. Back then, the Pinar del Rio
province was well known for it's excellent guava farms.
At that time, a worldwide depression was in full swing,
and some inexpensive Cuban bread and guava paste (affectionately
referred to by Cubans as "Pan con Timba") went
a long way in filling you up when you were hungry. The people
of Pinar del Rio loved it, and before our grandfather knew
it, he and his brothers had established Industrias Ferro,
S.A., and were selling the guava paste they made up and
down the island Cuba under the Conchita brand. Why Conchita?
Conchita was their mother, a sturdy lady who gave birth
to 21 children (yes, we are a rather large extended family)!
During World War II, the U.S. government asked for our assistance
in supplying canned food and juices for the American troops.
With the financial assistance of the American government,
a new, modern factory was built to help feed American soldiers
around the world. At the conclusion of the war, the factory
was expanded to process a number of different food products.
The Conchita line was expanded and soon, you could have
everything from California peaches to Cuban rock lobster
and tuna fished off our own fishing boats.
However, on a fateful day in 1959, the party ended for millions
of Cubans, our family included. Fidel Castro's government
overtook the country, and before year's end, nationalized
Industrias Ferro, S.A, along with countless other businesses.
To this day, the Cuban government continues to operate our
factories in Cuba and sells canned fruits and juices under
the Conchita brand with our same logo. Like many others,
our family fled to the United States, hoping to one day
return to their homeland, but also determined to succeed
in their new adopted home. By 1964, Conchita was up and
running again, albeit on a much smaller scale. Cubans who
immigrated to the United States were able to go to their
local "bodegas" (markets) and find their favorite
Pasta de Guayaba on the shelves, along with a few other
Conchita products. Life wasn't great for most Cubans at
that time, but our grandfather did what he could to provide
them with a little taste of home.
Today, the second and third generation of Ferro's are helping
guide Conchita Foods to bigger and better things. Our product
line has grown to over 150 items, with new items always
on the horizon. We are constantly striving to provide our
customers with tasty, innovative products and welcome any
comments or suggestions you may have. Our aim is to provide
the Hispanic communities with products of the highest quality
at reasonable and fair prices. You see, our grandmother
and great-grandmother's name is on every can, jar, bag,
and bottle we sell. We could not dishonor her by selling
something that wasn't up to her or our standards. |
