Grupo Nutresa wins Colombia's 2023 National Exports Award thanks to its sustainable Cordillera Chocolate brand

Recognition of its B2B division reaffirms Grupo Nutresa's commitment to globalization and the purpose of brands such as Cordillera in developing businesses with a sustainable vision.

Medellin, September 12, 2023. As part of the 35th National Exporters' Congress 'Change is Exporting,' held at the Expofuturo Convention Center in the city of Pereira, Grupo Nutresa announced it had received the National Exports Award, a recognition presented by the National Association of Foreign Trade - Analdex in association with ProColombia.

The company was recognized in the Large Goods Company category, rewarding the export work developed by Cordillera Chocolate - a brand of premium chocolate ingredients that leads the B2B business in Nutresa's Compañía Nacional de Chocolates - and its sustainability and community development efforts.

In a field of 24 companies in the category, Cordillera Chocolate's contribution was recognized by jury members who considered, among others, the merits and contributions to the national economy and society in general.

According to Analdex's criteria, Cordillera Chocolate has demonstrated solid leadership in sustainability and has become a global benchmark in the rural development of cocoa-growing communities thanks to its export strategy, adaptation to change, valued innovation, and collaborative work with customers across international markets.

"We congratulate Cordillera, the B2B business of Compañía Nacional de Chocolates, for winning the Large Goods exporting company category. The jurors highlighted its leadership in sustainability, export strategy to penetrate international markets, adaptation to change, support for cocoa producers, strengthening the region's agricultural economy, and commitment to sustainable rural development in the cocoa sector," said Javier Diaz, president of Analdex.

Carlos Ignacio Gallego, president of Grupo Nutresa, said: "This new recognition of our export efforts sets the grounds for our globalization vision as a means to accelerate the development of our countries, companies, and people. This strategy gives us great opportunities to access capital, technologies, talent, and inputs in competitive conditions".

Juan Fernando Castañeda, president of Grupo Nutresa's Chocolates Business, said: "Compañía Nacional de Chocolates, with 103 years of experience developing mass consumption brands, challenges itself to adapt to the changing environment and recognizes the opportunity to capitalize on a global market potential, where it did not participate before. Seven years ago, we created the Cordillera brand to be a business-to-business (B2B) market player worldwide. We have driven our strategy from differentiated innovation, the construction of long-term strategic relationships with global accounts, the articulation of business ecosystems with the different associated stakeholders in the geographies, and above all, moved by the conviction to develop business from a sustainable superior purpose that fosters the creation of shared value".

Alejandra Sarasty, Global Manager of the B2B business of Compañía Nacional de Chocolates, added: "The utmost purpose of Cordillera implies the power of impacting all the hands that touch our chocolate to give them the possibility of transcending. This recognition encourages us and commits us to continue building the future from today, joining our alliances throughout the cocoa value chain; we will keep telling the world that Colombia is Sustainable Chocolate".

Since its beginnings, Grupo Nutresa has consolidated itself as a food company with an international vision. Today, the organization records close to 43% of its sales outside Colombia, for which it has a successful distribution network abroad and a team of approximately 49,000 employees - almost 13,000 of them located outside Colombia. Grupo Nutresa has a direct presence in 18 countries, with 47 manufacturing facilities and its own distribution networks, allowing it to reach 80 nations on five continents with its products and capabilities.

The National Exports Award is the highest annual recognition given by Analdex and ProColombia to Colombian companies that export goods and services - and is the second time Grupo Nutresa has received this honor. It provides logistics services for their resilience, innovation, strengthening of production processes, and permanence in international markets, with the firm conviction of their positive impact on the social and economic development of the country.

The award was received at a ceremony attended by the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro Urrego; the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Germán Umaña Mendoza; the Executive President of Analdex, Javier Díaz Molina; and the President of ProColombia, Carmen Cecilia Caballero.
 

Notes to editors

Grupo Nutresa S. A. (NUTRESA: BVC) is the leading processed food company in Colombia (52,3% market share) and one of the most relevant players in the sector in Latin America, with consolidated sales of COP 17,0 trillion in 8 business units: cold cuts, biscuits, chocolates, coffee, Tresmontes Lucchetti (TMLUC), retail food, ice cream, pasta, and others.

Grupo Nutresa is a diversified organization in terms of geography, products, and supplies, with a direct presence in 17 countries and international sales amounting to USD 1,62 billion in more than 82 countries.

Grupo Nutresa was included for the thirteenth consecutive year in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) 2022, and is the most sustainable food company in the world according to the Indices. As a result, the Organization is part of the top 5% food companies in the Sustainability Yearbook published by S&P Global Sustainable1.

* Information (Dic. 31 2022)

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Grupo Nutresa S. A. (NUTRESA: BVC) is the leading processed food company in Colombia (52,3% market share) and one of the most relevant players in the sector in Latin America, with consolidated sales of COP 17,0 trillion in 8 business units: cold cuts, biscuits, chocolates, coffee, Tresmontes Lucchetti (TMLUC), retail food, ice cream, pasta, and others.