| Type | Sociedad Anónima Bursátil de Capital Variable |
|---|---|
| Traded as | BMV: BIMBO |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | (1945) |
| Headquarters | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Area served | worldwide |
| Key people | Roberto Servitje Sendra (Chairman) Daniel Servitje Montull (CEO) |
| Products | Bread products, candies, pastries etc. |
| Revenue | US$ 9.5 Billion (2010) [1] |
| Net income | US$ 436.6 Million (2010) [1] |
| Employees | 102,000 |
| Subsidiaries | Bimbo, Barcel, Gastronomía Avanzada Pastelerías (El Globo), Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU or EUA), Bimbo do Brasil, Ideal (Chile), Bimbo Venezuela[2] |
| Website | www.grupobimbo.com |
Grupo Bimbo (pronounced "BEEM-bo") is the largest (in sales) Mexican food company and the largest bakery in the world[3] with brands in Americas, Europe, and China.
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Grupo Bimbo was established in Mexico in 1945 by Lorenzo Servitje, Jose T. Mata, Jaime Sendra, and Jaime Jorba. Today it is one of the most important baking companies in brand and trademark positioning, sales, and production volume around the world. The company is currently #4 among the largest food corporations in the world, just behind Unilever, Kraft Foods and Nestlé. The company became the world's largest bread manufacturing company in 2010 reporting $8.9 billion in sales, a steep increase from the $4.67 billion in sales in 2004. In Mexico and Latin America, the company is the market share leader, selling over 7,000 products under more than 100 different brands.[4]
Since 1980, Grupo Bimbo has been traded in the Mexican Stock Exchange. It comprises six organizations and a corporate department that operates companies in the baking industry and in general, in the food industry. The company also makes the majority of the machinery used in its factories through its industrial development branch, as well as a large part of the plastic packaging they use on their products.
The name "Bimbo" has no specific meaning in Spanish; thus, the name has not caused significant uproar as it would in the United States, where the word "bimbo" has a negative connotation. The official theory believes that the name Bimbo, coined in 1945 when the company was rebranded from its previous name, Super Pan S.A., is the mixing of the words "bingo" and "Bambi".[5] In addition, the innocent, childlike name went well with the brand image they wanted to build.
In Mexico as in some Latin American countries, it is common to refer to any bread brand as "pan bimbo" (bimbo bread) instead of the proper "pan de barra" (loaf of bread). The name "Bimbo" has almost become a synonym for bread. The brand is highly trusted for quality and taste. It has one of the most extensive distribution networks in Latin America, often making it products available even in the most remote places.
In 1964, Grupo Bimbo introduced sliced bread in Spain. In 1978, the Mexican group sold all its shares and the Spanish firm operates independently[6] The Portuguese and Spanish Bimbo were acquired by Sara Lee in 2001[7] Many still refer to the bread as "pan bimbo".
The corporate image, a small white teddy bear, was inspired by a Christmas card sent by the grandson of the company's founder to his grandmother during the early 1950s. The teddy bear in the picture was thought to be ideal as Bimbo's corporate image, and was, literally, stripped of its clothes and given a white apron and a chef's hat. To represent Grupo Bimbo, which also encompasses non-food related companies, a new more traditional and mainstream logo was developed. However, the white teddy bear remains the image the general public most relates to Bimbo as a brand.
On December 10, 2008, it was announced that Grupo Bimbo bought WFI (Weston Foods Inc.) a subsidiary of George Weston Ltd. for $2.38 billion, making Grupo Bimbo the largest bakery company in the USA and the only bakery in the USA with a national footprint. They now own brands such as Arnold, Boboli, Brownberry, Entenmann's, Freihofer's, Stroehmann, and Thomas', plus 22 factories and 4,000 delivery trucks.[8][9]
On November 9, 2010, Sara Lee Corporation said that by selling its North American Fresh Bakery unit to Grupo Bimbo, it could grow in other areas. The $959 million deal gives Sara Lee the right to continue using the Sara Lee name on frozen desserts and meat products. Grupo Bimbo will use the Sara Lee name for fresh-baked products around the world except for Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The deal also means Grupo Bimbo gets 41 plants and the regional brands Grandma Sycamore's, Heiner's and Rainbo. Adding to its Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Bimbo Bakeries USA, Grupo Bimbo will significantly expand its coverage of the United States.[10]
On October 10, 2011, Grupo Bimbo bought Sara Lee's operations in Spain and Portugal.
Grupo Bimbo is shirt sponsor for three of Mexicos top-flight professional soccer league, Primera Division (First Division). Grupo Bimbo's logo can be seen on the front of the América, Chivas de Guadalajara, and Monterrey teams jerseys. They are also the shirt sponsor for Saprissa of Costa Rica and five-time Primera División champions A.D. Isidro Metapán and the Panamanian soccer team San Francisco F.C. that plays in Liga Panameña de Futbol. On January 11, 2011, Bimbo, whose United States operations are headquartered near Philadelphia, became the jersey sponsor for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Up to twenty different truck models have been used as Bimbo delivery trucks since the late 1930s. These include 1960s Ford vans, 1990s Chevrolet, Renault, Dodge and Nissan. Mercedes Sprinter delivery vans are currently used. While Bimbo's vehicles were beige by the 1950s, Wonder, Marinela, Barcel and Bimbo trucks have been white since the 1960s, with Tía Rosa trucks remaining beige. Ricolino started using small leisure activity vehicles (Peugeot Partner and Renault Kangoo) coloured in royal blue. Twelve plastic 1:60 models of Bimbo trucks were released in 1998, ranging from the 1940s and 1950s beige panels from the 1990s electric van, and a special edition trailer. These were available in delivery vans and special packages where available, containing the blank model and stickers for the proper decoration.