La Union
La Union is a Spanish producer-marketer of fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, headquartered in Almeria, supplying European retailers and foodservice operators with 400,000+ tons annually from 29 work centres and 3,500 supplier farms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersEl Ejido, Spain
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What La Union does
La Unión (Alhóndiga La Unión S.A.) is a Spanish producer-marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, headquartered in El Ejido, Almería, and founded in 1990. The company operates an integrated model that sources from approximately 3,500 family farms across southern Spain, supporting roughly 15,000 indirect jobs, and markets over 400,000 tons of produce annually through 29 work centres in Almería, Granada, Murcia, and Málaga. It is positioned as the world's largest cucumber exporter. The business employs 1,453 direct staff and sells to European and Spanish retailers and to European foodservice operators.
The product portfolio includes fresh produce under the La Unión master brand, the I'mperfect anti-food-waste range launched in 2017, the La Elejida and Taramay sub-brands, and the Long Fresh frozen product line launched in 2020 and built on the proprietary NICE (Non-Industrial Controlled Evolution) freezing technology. Supporting technical capabilities include the BIOVEGE biodegradable packaging system, WeCarePack and VEGE-PACK packaging formats, end-to-end traceability platforms, and an in-house laboratory conducting more than 64,000 analyses per year. The company has executed multiple CDTI-funded R&D projects (including the DECID@ROP agronomic decision-support system), and holds ISO 45001 occupational health certification through 2028.
Commercially, La Unión generates revenue by selling fresh and frozen produce through B2B channels to European retail and foodservice customers, with pricing driven by category mix, seasonal availability, and contract structures typical of large produce suppliers. The company has committed to carbon neutrality by 2040 under the SBTi-aligned Race to Zero framework, has installed solar generation across multiple work centres, and has been recognised for carbon footprint disclosure for five consecutive years, all of which align the business with the ESG procurement requirements of its principal European retail customers.
La Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Union
- Legal name
- Alhóndiga La Unión S.A.
- Website
- https://launioncorp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- La Union is a Spanish producer-marketer of fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, headquartered in Almeria, supplying European retailers and foodservice operators with 400,000+ tons annually from 29 work centres and 3,500 supplier farms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fresh Produce Marketing and Distribution
- NAICS
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing (311411), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Frozen Fruits & Vegetables Manufacturing (AFAKACAF), Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut) (AFAOAGAI), Foodservice / HORECA Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAI)
Keywords
Where La Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- El Ejido
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
La Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fresh Produce Sales: La Unión generates revenue primarily through the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables. The company markets over 65 different products and varieties year-round, sourced from a network of ~3,500 family farms and distributed across Spain and Europe. Revenue is derived from conventional fresh produce under the La Unión and La Elejida brands, and the company is the largest cucumber exporter in the world.
- Long Fresh Frozen Produce: Revenue from the Long Fresh line, an innovative frozen fruit and vegetable product using NICE technology that preserves nutritional and organoleptic qualities. This line extends the usable life of produce and is sold as a value-added product.
- I'Mperfect Value Line: Revenue from the I'Mperfect line, which markets fresh produce with cosmetic imperfections at a reduced price. This addresses food waste reduction while capturing value from produce that would otherwise go unsold.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
La Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Unión produces, packages, and markets fresh fruits and vegetables (over 400,000 tons annually across 65+ varieties) for European retail and foodservice customers, including a dedicated frozen line under the Long Fresh sub-brand that uses proprietary NICE freezing technology. The company also operates differentiated sub-brands—I'mperfect for cosmetically imperfect produce, La Elejida for locally grown premium produce, and Taramay for tropical fruits—and runs three in-house laboratories and a 927.3 kWp solar installation to support quality, sustainability, and packaging innovation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Long Fresh: Innovative freezing technology brand using NICE technology that preserves all nutritional and organoleptic properties of fruits and vegetables, extending shelf life without seasonal variations, oxidation, or wastage.
- I'Mperfect
- La Elejida
- Taramay
Products and services
- Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (La Unión core range) Core fresh produce offering from La Unión, covering 65+ varieties of fruits and vegetables marketed at 400,000+ tons per year to European retail and foodservice customers, including its position as the world's largest cucumber exporter.
- Long Fresh La Unión's frozen fruits and vegetables sub-brand, applying proprietary NICE freezing technology to extend shelf life and serve European retail and foodservice customers.
- I'mperfect La Unión's value-tier sub-brand marketing cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables at lower prices, addressing price-sensitive retail and foodservice buyers and reducing food waste.
- La Elejida La Unión's premium-tier sub-brand offering locally grown fruits and vegetables from El Ejido, Almería, targeted at European retail buyers seeking regional/origin-differentiated produce.
- Taramay La Unión's sub-brand dedicated to tropical fruits, extending the company's portfolio beyond Mediterranean horticulture for European retail and foodservice customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- World's largest cucumber exporter, marketing 400,000+ tons annually across 65+ varieties year-round
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use La Union
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
La Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
La Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Ecoplas Barbanza, S.L.minorCo-leader of the VEGE-PACK project (April 2020, 33 months) developing compostable packaging with antimicrobial and antifungal properties derived from agricultural by-products. Budget €667,908.
- Agroindustrial KIMITEC, S.L.coreProject leader for the AGROHEALTH project (IDI-20190176), a CDTI-funded collaborative R&D initiative focused on developing natural biofertilisers that stimulate synthesis of chemopreventive compounds in tomato and avocado, and developing two functional food products from these enriched fruits.
- IDEAS Y DESARROLLO PARA LA MEJORA CONTINUA IDM, S.L.minorParticipant in the MORE-THAN-CLEAN project (ITC-20181097), funded by CDTI under the FEDER-INNTERCONECTA 2018 programme. Alhóndiga La Unión led the project focused on developing hygienising technologies applied at the interstitial level of horticultural tissue during cultivation and post-harvest handling.
- INGRO MAQUINARIA, S.L.minorParticipant in the MORE-THAN-CLEAN project (ITC-20181097), co-funded by CDTI and the EU under the FEDER-INNTERCONECTA 2018 programme.
- NOVEDADES AGRÍCOLAS, S.A.minorParticipant in the MORE-THAN-CLEAN project (ITC-20181097), co-funded by CDTI and the EU under the FEDER-INNTERCONECTA 2018 programme.
- KoppertminorCollaborates with La Unión on projects focused on sustainable production, mentioned in the new sustainability goals section of the CSR strategy.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
La Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- UNICA Group: Spanish Almería-based fruit and vegetable producer-marketing cooperative with similar model of aggregating family-farm production for B2B European distribution; directly comparable in scale, geography, and customer base to La Unión.
- Grupo AN: Spanish agricultural cooperative group marketing fresh produce, frozen vegetables and processed foods across Europe; comparable business model and customer overlap with La Unión's Long Fresh and I'Mperfect lines.
- Ardo: Belgian frozen vegetable manufacturer supplying European foodservice and retail; the closest direct comparator to La Unión's Long Fresh (NICE) frozen produce line by category and customer base.
- Florette (Agrial): European leader in fresh-cut salads, bagged vegetables and ready-to-eat produce, with strong Iberian operations; comparable to La Unión's fresh-cut and value-added packhouse activities and sustainability branding.
Broad incumbents
- Greenyard: Belgium-listed global market leader in fresh, frozen and prepared fruit & vegetables, supplying major European retailers; overlaps directly with La Unión's fresh produce wholesale and frozen Long Fresh segments at a much larger scale.
- Bonduelle: French global leader in processed and frozen vegetables, with strong retail-brand presence across Europe; competes with La Unión's Long Fresh frozen line and serves similar retail customers.
- Total Produce / Dole plc: Global fresh produce giant with extensive European distribution; overlaps with La Unión in fresh fruit and vegetable sourcing and B2B supply to European retailers.
Regional players
- Bakker Barendrecht (Greenyard): Dutch fresh produce supplier serving major Dutch and German retailers; competes with La Unión in Northern European retail programmes with overlapping cucumber and tomato categories.
- Grupo P Peregrín: Murcia-based Spanish fresh produce marketer and exporter focused on lettuces, broccoli and vegetables; comparable in customer base and category overlap, though concentrated in different crops than La Unión.
Others
- Hispatec: Spanish ag-tech provider of ERP, traceability and agronomic decision systems for fresh produce operators; directly comparable as the technology partner behind La Unión's DECID@ROP crop modelling project, and indicative of the IT infrastructure layer used by peers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Union social profiles
Digital presenceLa Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
La Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Union
What does La Union do?
La Unión produces, packages, and markets fresh fruits and vegetables (over 400,000 tons annually across 65+ varieties) for European retail and foodservice customers, including a dedicated frozen line under the Long Fresh sub-brand that uses proprietary NICE freezing technology. The company also operates differentiated sub-brands—I'mperfect for cosmetically imperfect produce, La Elejida for locally grown premium produce, and Taramay for tropical fruits—and runs three in-house laboratories and a 927.3 kWp solar installation to support quality, sustainability, and packaging innovation.
Is La Union a public or private company?
La Union is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was La Union founded?
La Union was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is La Union based?
La Union is headquartered in El Ejido, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does La Union make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fresh Produce Sales are the primary driver. The others are long Fresh Frozen Produce and I'Mperfect Value Line.
Who are La Union's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are UNICA Group, Grupo AN, Ardo and Florette (Agrial). Broad incumbents are Greenyard, Bonduelle and Total Produce / Dole plc. Regional players are Bakker Barendrecht (Greenyard) and Grupo P Peregrín. Hispatec is listed as an others.
Does La Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Union.
What industry is La Union in?
La Union's product category is Fresh Produce Marketing and Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIABAE, Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables), with a secondary code of AFAKACAF, Frozen Fruits & Vegetables Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 424480 and its SIC code is 5141.