PASTAS GALLO

In 1946, a young entrepreneur named José Espona, with a loan from his father, acquired a flour factory in Rubí, Barcelona, and established Pastas Gallo. At the time, Spanish pasta was made exclusively with common wheat. Espona, however, had a different vision. He pioneered the introduction of durum wheat to Spain, a move that would redefine the country's pasta market. He persuaded local farmers to cultivate this new variety, laying the foundation for the quality that would become the company's hallmark. The company’s journey of innovation continued. In 1956, Espona built the first semolina milling plant in Spain. By 1958, Pastas Gallo acquired a mill in El Carpio, converting it into a modern pasta factory. This strategic expansion paid off; within a little over a decade, Gallo products were on the shelves of more than 100,000 retailers across Spain, establishing the brand as a household name. The company expanded its product lines in the 1970s, introducing specialty pastas and cementing its position as a market leader. A significant chapter in the company's history unfolded in July 2019, when the founding family sold a majority stake to the private equity fund ProA Capital for approximately €227 million. This acquisition was intended to foster growth and strengthen the brand's leadership in the Spanish market while pursuing international expansion.