Ucalsa
Ucalsa (Unión Castellana de Alimentación S.A.) is a Madrid-based privately held provider of integrated management services — temporary installations, mass catering, supplies and logistics, social-health, and defense installation management — serving government, defense, and municipal clients across 30 countries, generating €201+ million in annual revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1887
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ucalsa does
Ucalsa (Unión Castellana de Alimentación UCALSA S.A.) is a privately held Spanish integrated management services company headquartered in Madrid, founded in 1994 (with operating roots tracing to 1887), generating €201+ million in annual revenue from a workforce of more than 3,000 qualified professionals across 30 countries. The company delivers a portfolio of six interconnected service lines — temporary installations and living bases, mass catering, purchasing/supplies and logistics, social-health services, construction and asset maintenance, and defense installation management — sold as a single integrated offering to clients that prefer one provider for facilities, food service, and supply chain. Its customer base is concentrated in government and defense: the Spanish Ministries of Defence and Interior, NATO, the United Nations, the British Army, and the US Army Corps of Engineers for international field rations, plus Spanish city councils (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia Region) for meals-on-wheels, elderly residential care, and refugee accommodation in partnership with the Red Cross and CEAR.
The underlying operating platform combines owned logistics infrastructure — 40,000 m² of facilities, 29,000 dry pallet positions, 16,500 refrigerated/frozen pallet positions, strategic port warehouses, 3,319 tonnes/year throughput, 16,000 transport departures annually, and 112 delivery points — with a dense certification stack (ISO 9001/14001/45001, SA 8000, ENS National Security Scheme, UN Global Compact, HC-2020 carbon footprint, Madrid Excelente) that serves as a qualification barrier for public-sector tenders. The company reaches clients through direct enterprise and government field sales, supported by a multi-language website (Spanish, English, French), LinkedIn, Facebook, and a corporate blog. Revenue is generated through custom multi-year managed services contracts (catering, facility management, logistics, social-health) and product-based sales for field rations, with quote-based pricing tailored to each client engagement. The business is operated under the Ucalsa master brand alongside segment sub-brands Distegsa (corporate catering) and Gastronomía Madrileña (education catering), with a wholly owned Peru branch UPLC serving Latin America.
Ucalsa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ucalsa
- Legal name
- Unión Castellana de Alimentación UCALSA S.A.
- Website
- https://ucalsa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1887
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ucalsa (Unión Castellana de Alimentación S.A.) is a Madrid-based privately held provider of integrated management services — temporary installations, mass catering, supplies and logistics, social-health, and defense installation management — serving government, defense, and municipal clients across 30 countries, generating €201+ million in annual revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ucalsa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Integrated Facility Management Services
- NAICS
- Facilities Support Services (561210)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management (EDAEAFAB)
Keywords
Where Ucalsa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Ucalsa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Integrated Management Services: Comprehensive service provision across temporary facilities, collective catering, supplies/logistics, and social-health services. Revenue generated through long-term contracts with government and corporate clients.
- Catering Services: Mass catering services including on-site kitchen, hot line, and cold line/fifth range meal preparation and distribution
- Field Rations and Subsistence: Supply of field rations to armed forces, civil protection, and emergency organizations. Product-based revenue from specialized rations adapted to different cultures (Western, Halal, Hindu, Vegetarian)
- Social-Health Services: Home care services, day care, residential care facilities, and meals-on-wheels programmes for elderly and dependent persons
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise contracts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Ucalsa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ucalsa (Unión Castellana de Alimentación S.A.) is an integrated management services company that designs, builds and operates temporary installations and living bases, delivers mass catering, runs supply chain and international logistics, and provides social-health and elderly care services for government, defense, healthcare, education, corporate, and international-organization clients across 30 countries. The company operates its own logistics infrastructure (40,000 m² of warehouse facilities at strategic ports) and delivers field rations, cafeteria management, residential care, and home-care services under long-term managed-service contracts.
Product overview
Ucalsa (Unión Castellana de Alimentación S.A.) is a comprehensive integrated management services company operating in 30 countries. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected service modules centered on facility management, catering, logistics, and social-healthcare services. The core offerings include: Temporary Installations and Living Bases (camp facilities for construction, mining, and energy projects with full catering and support services), Mass Catering (food service management for education, defense, healthcare, corporate, and vending sectors), Purchasing/Supplies and Logistics (supply chain management, field rations, and international logistics), Social and Health Services (home care, meals-on-wheels, residential care management), Construction and Services (industrial/civil construction and asset maintenance), and Defense Services (military installation management). These services are designed to work independently or as integrated solutions for clients requiring comprehensive facility and support management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Distegsa: Own brand managed through Distegsa for company canteens and particular demands.
- Gastronomía Madrileña
Products and services
- Temporary Installations and Living Bases (Instalaciones Temporales y Bases de Vida) Design, construction, fitting, and operation of temporary installations and living bases for construction, mining, energy, and defense projects, with full camp services including catering, cleaning, laundry, water supply, and waste management. Intended for organizations operating in remote or difficult locations without existing infrastructure.
- Mass Catering (Restauración Colectiva) Mass catering and restaurant management for educational establishments, military barracks, company canteens, healthcare centers, leisure facilities, events, and vending operations. Intended for institutions and large organizations that need to feed large groups on a managed-service basis.
- Purchasing, Supplies and Logistics (Compras, Suministros y Logística) End-to-end supply chain management including food and non-food procurement, field rations preparation and distribution, customs protocols, international financial instruments management, and multimodal transport to any destination worldwide. Intended for defense, humanitarian, and international-organization clients that need full traceability from any point on the planet to any destination.
- Social and Health Services (Servicios Sociosanitarios) Home care services, meals-on-wheels programmes, day care centers, and managed residential care facilities for elderly, dependent persons, and vulnerable populations. Includes the Minors and Families Programme and specialized menus for chronic illness, elderly, and dependent care. Intended for local councils, regional governments, and healthcare/elderly-care providers.
- Construction and Services (Construcciones y Servicios) Comprehensive construction and fitting solutions for industrial and civil buildings and structures, including maintenance of assets such as photovoltaic plants, refineries, and docks. Intended for industrial and corporate clients requiring built-environment construction and ongoing asset maintenance.
- Defense Services (Defensa) Construction and comprehensive management of military and defense installations in national and international locations, including maintenance, catering, and supplies. Intended for ministries of defence, armed forces, NATO, UN, and allied defense clients operating in domestic and deployed theaters.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving 400+ clients across 30 countries with €201+ million in annual revenue
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Ucalsa
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ucalsa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ucalsa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- DistegsaminorOwn brand used for corporate catering services through the Distegsa brand for companies and industries.
- Gastronomía MadrileñaminorBrand used for educational catering services, managed through Gastronomía Madrileña.
- UPLC (Peru)minorPeru branch/filsial operation of Ucalsa in Peru.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ucalsa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atalian: French-headquartered European facility services group. Direct competitor in facility management and integrated building services for public-sector and corporate clients across Europe.
- Sodexo: French multinational food services and facilities management company. Direct competitor across Ucalsa's mass catering, defense services, and integrated facility management lines, with similar government and corporate client bases.
- Aramark: US-based food and support services company. Direct competitor in catering, defense and integrated facility services, with comparable global government and institutional client base.
- Compass Group: UK-based global food and support services group. Direct competitor in contract catering, education and defense food services, and integrated support services with overlapping customer profiles.
- Serco Group: UK public services outsourcing group. Direct competitor in defense logistics, government catering and base operations, particularly comparable to Ucalsa's Ministry of Defence and NATO work.
- Elior Group: French contract catering and multiservice group. Direct competitor in mass catering, education and healthcare food services across European markets.
- ISS A/S: Danish global facility services company. Direct competitor in workplace and government facility management, with comparable bundled-services offering for large institutions.
Regional players
- Clece: Spanish facility services and social-health company (ACS/Vitruvio subsidiary). Direct competitor in the Spanish market for facility management, elderly care and social services with overlapping municipal clients.
Broad incumbents
- Ferrovial Servicios: Services arm of Spanish infrastructure conglomerate Ferrovial. Competes for government facility services, infrastructure maintenance and municipal contracts in Spain and internationally.
Emerging players
- CH&CO: UK-based premium contract caterer serving corporate, government and education clients. Comparable for catering capabilities and integrated food-service contracts in adjacent European markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ucalsa social profiles
Digital presenceUcalsa compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Ucalsa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ucalsa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Ucalsa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ucalsa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ucalsa 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 Ucalsa
What does Ucalsa do?
Ucalsa (Unión Castellana de Alimentación S.A.) is an integrated management services company that designs, builds and operates temporary installations and living bases, delivers mass catering, runs supply chain and international logistics, and provides social-health and elderly care services for government, defense, healthcare, education, corporate, and international-organization clients across 30 countries. The company operates its own logistics infrastructure (40,000 m² of warehouse facilities at strategic ports) and delivers field rations, cafeteria management, residential care, and home-care services under long-term managed-service contracts.
Is Ucalsa a public or private company?
Ucalsa is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ucalsa founded?
Ucalsa was founded in 1887. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ucalsa based?
Ucalsa is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Ucalsa make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Integrated Management Services are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, field Rations and Subsistence and social-Health Services.
Who are Ucalsa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atalian, Sodexo, Aramark, Compass Group, Serco Group, Elior Group and ISS A/S. Clece is listed as a regional player. Ferrovial Servicios is listed as a broad incumbent. CH&CO is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ucalsa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ucalsa.
What industry is Ucalsa in?
Ucalsa's product category is Integrated Facility Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAFAB, Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management. Its NAICS code is 561210 and its SIC code is 8744.