Flavor

and nutrition for the Nicaraguan consumer

Produced by Jassen Pintado

Written by Mateo Rafael Tablado

Translation by María Murgui

Dirección Creativa Omar Rodríguez

Entrevistado Marlon Rodas, Country Manager for Lala Nicaragua

Grupo Lala owns a more than70-year reputation in the dairy products market. Its history began in Mexico as one of the first producers and distributors of pasteurized milk in the country, to later include other dairy products in its production chain.

Grupo Lala entered Central America in 2008, first in Guatemala, and later the Nicaraguan market in 2014 by acquiring the “Eskimo” ice cream brand, a flagship brand in the country. The following year, Grupo Lala invested more than $50 million in the construction and setup of the San Benito factory, installing a production center provided with high-end technology and thus guaranteeing the highest quality and food safety for the Nicaraguan consumer. The expansion went on in 2016 as the company acquired the milk, dairy and fruit juices brand “La Perfecta”, thus widening Grupo Lala’s portfolio in Nicaragua and becoming the country’s leader in the dairy products market. The company also owns a plant in Altagracia, Managua.

Besides its leadership in dairy products, Grupo Lala has provided the country with nutritional quality through its wide variety of products, it has become a key player in the country’s economy by generating jobs and contributing to a sustainable cattle industry.

Lala’s latest investments in Nicaragua have been focused on optimizing technology in its production plants and investing over $1 million in the market’s points of purchase where they have coverage, deploying refrigeration and freezing equipment.

“Grupo Lala has been fulfilling its commitment to be a company in constant innovation and evolution. Lala Nicaragua, since it entered the Nicaraguan market, has kept

- Marlon Rodas, Country Manager for Lala Nicaragua

consistent with its mission,” commented Marlon Rodas, Country Manager for Lala Nicaragua.

Credentials And Experience To Lead Operations

Rodas obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua in Leon. Later, he got an MBA specializing in Digital Marketing and three other specializations in Leadership and Supply Chain Management awarded by the Harvard Business School, the Nicaragua

Chamber of Industry, and the National University of Engineering (also in Nicaragua), respectively.

Before joining Grupo Lala, Rodas worked in the Planning and Financing Control area at Grupo Pantaleón, where he later took over the coordination of the Procurement area. He then moved to Lácteos La Perfecta, where he held different positions, such as Purchasing Manager and Logistics and Distribution Manager before the company was acquired by Grupo Lala. At the latter, he held the position of Country Manager for Costa Rica.

In Nicaragua, he has led the company’s growth with support obtained as a result of gathering a solid team, thus establishing a vision capable of integrating strategic processes and implementing a remarkable supply chain.

Under his leadership, the company and all of Lala Nicaragua’s brands have earned awards and recognition, and have been positioned at the top of different rankings from specialized media, both national and regional. Rodas, on his behalf, won the Young Award for Excellence in Commerce in 2022 from the Nicaragua Chamber of Commerce and Services.

Providing Options In Flavor And Nutrition To The Region

Throughout its presence in Nicaragua, Grupo Lala has brought a wide range of nutritional, well-balanced, and flavorful products -mainly dairy products- to Nicaraguan households, sorted out into twelve categories:

• Glu Glu and Eskimo Brand beverages

• La Perfecta and Nutri Lety sweet and sour creams

• Vidamás and Nutri Lety baby formulas

• Ice cream from the Lala and Nicaraguan mainstay

Eskimo brands

• La Perfecta premium juices and recently-launched Eskimo juice

• Eskimo and Lala UHT milk, sold in both bags and cardboard packaging

• La Perfecta and Eskimo brands butter

• Nutri Lety powder baby formula

• La Perfecta milk caramel spread and jello.

• La Perfecta and Lala natural and flavored yogurt, including the Lala Kids line, whose specialized packaging was designed for younglings.

These brands are distributed and commercialized in Nicaragua, and some of the products are being exported to Costa Rica and Guatemala.

“Our goal is that our products make their way into new markets as well as generating new development opportunities and new options of nutritious and healthy food for the whole region,” the executive pointed out.

ESKIMO, NICARAGUA’S FLAGSHIP BRAND

One of the first steps taken by Grupo Lala upon its arrival in Nicaragua and getting deep market knowledge was to acquire Eskimo, an ice cream household name.

Eskimo’s dates to 1942 when Mario Salvo Lazzari and Josefina Horvilleur came up with the idea of setting up a family business making ice cream and popsicles in their own house. The dividends this startup started to bear resulted in growth that allowed them to invest in infrastructure, machinery, personnel, and other elements that led Eskimo to be Nicaragua’s favorite ice cream brand.

That first chocolate popsicle became one of the most consumed products in Managua at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is still among the preferred ones, becoming a top of mind product, as any ice cream, either popsicle or cone, is known as Eskimo in Nicaragua.

Eskimo was acquired by Grupo Lala by mid-2014, keeping the brand’s domestic leadership and preference, and providing important investments in infrastructure, technology, constant personnel training, and innovative flavors.

Currently,

“Eskimo is a synonym for pride and tradition in Nicaragua. Currently, our purpose is clear, to become the favorite all throughout the region,” Rodas added.

Passing On Knowledge And Better Practices To Suppliers

Grupo Lala tries to establish and maintain close relationships with those who are part of its supply chain. It currently has a network of primary producers in Guatemala and Nicaragua consisting of more than

3,000 stock breeders, with whom they work closely to optimize different aspects of its production chain.

In 2018, Grupo Lala started the suppliers’ ResCA Project Nicaragua (Resilient Central America), which implements silvopasture systems and good practices for livestock before any consequences the stock breeders in the region may face.

The following year, The Nicaraguan Dairy Products Industry Development project was created, with the purpose of optimizing the quality of milk production and the producers’, collectors’, and cooperatives’ profitability, as well as for Grupo Lala’s supply chain.

Both projects include 1,700 livestock farmers, 70 farms, 10 dairy products cooperatives, and 9 direct suppliers.

On the other hand, the Research & Development Department at Grupo Lala Central America works hand in hand with suppliers to generate efficiency and organize the “Innovation Day” annual event, where an exchange of the company’s most important needs and possible solutions are presented.

A Respectful Working Environment Capable Of Enhancing Performance

Regarding its workforce, Lala Nicaragua applies, with all its convictions, policies that favor diversity as a base for its corporate culture, thus making the working environment egalitarian and inclusive, free of sexism and violence of any kind.

Besides respect and diversity, this environment favors creativity and talent, thus giving room to innovation and different points of view capable of promoting collaboration. It is also a priority for Grupo Lala to provide its personnel with the necessary resources and knowledge to develop their operations in the best possible way. For that reason, it has nurtured itself with an array of programs for passing on technology and exchanging better practices.

“Our collaborators are our most valued asset, we seek and foster their well-being, generate an environment in which we can grow, besides promoting environmental care and motivating our people to contribute to the communities where we operate,” the executive added.

A Leadership Capable Of Spreading All Throughout The Region

Lala Nicaragua has set as its main task to maintain its absolute leadership in Nicaragua’s dairy market so that it can develop as a production hub capable of providing the rest of the market in Central America and the Caribbean.

“We are poised at positioning the group at the top not only in Nicaragua but also in all the different countries in which our products are sold,”, concluded Marlon Rodas, Country Manager for Lala Nicaragua.

FOUNDED:

1950, 2014 en Nicaragua

INDUSTRY: Bebidas y Alimentos

CONTACT: marlon.rodas@grupolala.com www.lala.com.mx/cam