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. Who is 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.