Although some of the brands of the SOS Group – such as LOUIT, CARBONELL, SASSO, SOS or EL MONAGUILLO – have been on the market for more than 100 years without interruption, and others – such as KOIPESOL – for more than 40, the corporate project binding them all together under their current configuration is relatively new, since it dates from the year 1990.

It was during this year that the brothers, Jesús and Jaime Salazar, together with other institutional and private investors, acquired the company Arana Maderas, S.A., founded in Bilbao in 1916 and listed in the Securities Exchange of this city, and turned it into the Grupo Industrial Arana, S.A., with the primordial purpose of becoming both a leading domestic and international group in brands within the dry foods sector from the time of its creation.

Between the years 1990 and 1992, it acquired majority shares in the companies Interván, S.A. (sweets) and Bernabé Biosca, S.A. (confits, dates and sweets). Subsequently, this latter company was divided into Bernabé Biosca Alimentación, S.A. (dates) and Pictolín, S.A. (sweets). The two sweets companies, Interván, S.A. and Pictolín, S.A. were merged later on. Currently, Sos Cuétara, S.A. continues to hold the majority of shares in both companies.

1992: The Acquisition of Hijos de J. SOS Borrás

It was also in 1992 when the first turning point occurred in the current configuration of the SOS Group, with the acquisition of a majority percentage in the rice-producing company Hijos de J. Sos Borrás, S.A., a company founded in Algemesí (Valencia) in 1902 by Mr. José Sos Borrás, which was the owner of the SOS brand. The innovative and commercial vocation of its founder is underscored by the fact that this was the first Spanish manufacturer to package rice in small 1-kg bags, thus enabling its differentiation from competing products. Subsequently, his descendants continued his activity, consolidating the brand and the leadership of SOS as a rice-producing company.

1994 saw the creation of Sos Arana Alimentación, S.A., the result of the merger of Hijos de J. Sos Borrás, S.A. with Grupo Industrial Arana, S.A., and the beginning of the internationalization process of the Group with the acquisition of Bernabé Biosca Tunisie, S.A., a company based in Tunisia that guaranteed the supply of best-quality dates to Bernabé Biosca Alimentación, S.A.

Internationalization since then has been one of the strategic pillars for the growth of the SOS Group. In this context, the Arrocera del Trópico, S.A. de C.V., a Mexican rice producer, was acquired in 1997. It changed its corporate name to Arroz Sos de México, S.A. de C.V. during the business year 2000.

In 1999, Arroz Sos Sevilla, S.A. was set up with the industrial assets acquired from Arrocerías Dársena. This functions as a purchase centre that buys from the farmers and cooperatives of Andalusia, since it is located in Los Palacios (Seville), in the centre of the main long-grain rice-producing area of Spain.

Continuing the internationalization process, it was at the end of this business year and at the beginning of the next when the SIPA Group (currently Saludães Produtos Alimentares, S.A.) was acquired, a leader in the Portuguese rice market through its brand SALUDAES. Its main activity is the production and commercialization of the carolino and agulha rice varieties. Carolino is planted in Portugal, whereas agulha is supplied from our installations in Arroz Sos Sevilla, S.A.