Benito Jiménez Cambra
Entrepreneur 2021CEO of Congelados Navarra SLU
(Navarra, aged 56). Agricultural engineer and IESE MBA graduate.
Coming from a family with long-standing ties to the world of agriculture and livestock farming in his home region, after completing his studies at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, he was certain that he wanted to pursue his professional career there.
After working for a time at a frozen vegetable factory owned by a multinational – where he rose to the position of managing director – he decided, at the age of 32, to strike out on his own and set up his own company.
The venture proved a success in every respect. Today, Congelados de Navarra is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of frozen vegetables. It is a multinational company with five production plants in Spain and one in Germany, as well as sales offices in the United Kingdom and the United States. Its growth has been unstoppable and steady, enabling it to close 2020 with a turnover of €225 million and a production of 240,000 tonnes of vegetables distributed worldwide (it exports more than 60 per cent of its production).
Looking to the future, the company is embarking on new challenges: to grow profitably, continue its international expansion, embrace digitalisation, and become a sustainable business where its staff, customers and suppliers take pride in working there. It has plans to set up an industrial facility in India to serve the entire Asian market and has just launched its own brand for the Spanish market, with the firm intention of offering a new, modern and distinctive take on frozen vegetables.
The jury for the Rei Jaume I Entrepreneur Prize, meeting in Valencia, has decided by consensus to award the 2021 prize to Mr Benito Jiménez Cambra.
He began his career at a multinational before setting out to establish his own frozen vegetable production company, with the clear aim of finding fulfilment in his work and being able to live in Navarre, his home region. His strong business values and commitment to his team, the local community and local farmers are particularly noteworthy.
Committed to realising his dream, he even sold his house to build his first factory; today, he has five plants in Spain and Germany, a newly built one in India, and branches in the United Kingdom.
Among his new expansion projects and objectives, his clear CSR policy, his commitment to the SDGs, the circular economy and society as a whole stand out.
