El Grupo Empresas Cardoen

What El Grupo Empresas Cardoen does

Grupo Empresas Cardoen (GEC) is a privately held Chilean diversified conglomerate founded in 1977 by Carlos Cardoen Cornejo and headquartered in Santiago. The group operates as a holding of seven to eight wholly-owned strategic business units (UENs) covering tourism and hospitality (Almacruz — Hotel Almacruz in Santiago and Hotel Santa Cruz in Colchagua), premium wine production and enotourism (Viña Santa Cruz, founded 2004 in the Lolol valley), agrochemicals and animal feed (New Tech Agro — SUPERAZUFRE phytosanitary sulfurs and SUPERFOS dioxin-free phosphates, with a 3,000 m² industrial plant and 45% domestic market share in phytosanitary sulfurs), energy generation and asset management (Enorchile — managing 5,500+ MW including 1,000 MW of solar), real estate development (Inmobiliaria Santa Cruz across five Chilean regions), copper mining services (New Tech Copper — proprietary SELE® electrodeposition technology and acid-mist control modules), special steels for mining (MetRan), and gaming (Casino Colchagua, with 240+ slot machines and 19 gaming tables). The group also operates cultural assets through Fundación Cardoen, including Museo de Colchagua and Museo de la Artesanía.

GEC's underlying technology base is industrial rather than digital. Proprietary technology assets include the SELE® (Selective ELectrodeposition Enhancer) process for copper electro-winning, which increases plant capacity without incremental capital investment and standardizes cathode quality, and the SUPERAZUFRE/SUPERFOS agrochemical formulations enabling national self-supply of dioxin-free feed phosphates. Energy operations are managed through an independent control center handling power plants, electrical lines, and substations. There is no evidence of API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities in the data set.

The revenue model is multi-stream and Chile-domestic. GEC earns from hotel bookings and tourism packages, premium wine sales and wine tourism, agrochemical and animal feed product sales, energy asset management and O&M contracts, real estate development and management, mining technology licensing and services, casino gaming floor revenue, and museum admissions. Customer segments span enterprise buyers (large copper miners, energy sector companies), mid-market buyers (Chilean farmers and agricultural producers), and consumers (hotel guests, tourists, casino patrons). Pricing is not publicly disclosed across most units, with individual quotations used for mining services, real estate, and enterprise energy management. GEC employs 251–500 people, has no external institutional investors, and operates entirely within Chile.

Name

El Grupo Empresas Cardoen

Legal name

Grupo Empresas Cardoen

Website

https://gec.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Grupo Empresas Cardoen is a privately held Chilean conglomerate founded in 1977, operating seven strategic business units across hotels, premium wine, agrochemicals, energy management, real estate, copper mining technology, and gaming, serving enterprise, mid-market, and consumer customers within Chile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hotels and Tourism: Revenue from Hotel Almacruz (Santiago), Hotel Santa Cruz (Colchagua), enotourism experiences at Viña Santa Cruz, and circuit including Museo Colchagua and Museo Lolol.
2. Wine Production and Agriculture: Premium wine production including Chamán Reserva, Chamán Gran Reserva, Tupu Edición Limitada, and Santa Cruz lines. Wine tourism and cultural experiences.
3. Agrochemical and Animal Feed Products: SUPERAZUFRE phytosanitary sulfurs and fertilizers (45% market share) and SUPERFOS dioxin-free animal feed products for poultry, pork, and salmon.
4. Energy Generation and Management: Asset management of power generation plants, O&M for solar plants, operation of electrical lines and substations. Manages 5,500+ MW including 1,000 MW solar.
5. Real Estate Development: Property development and management for hotel, commercial, residential, industrial, and office programs. Construction and workshop services in Santa Cruz.
6. Mining Services and Technology: SELE® technology and acid mist control solutions for copper mining electro-winning processes. Products and services focused on productivity and sustainability.
7. Casino and Entertainment: Casino operations with 240+ slot machines, 19 gaming tables (Poker, Black Jack, Punto y Banca, Roulette, Mini Craps), Bingo hall, VIP lounge, bar, and events venue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grupo Empresas Cardoen is a diversified Chilean conglomerate operating eight strategic business units: Almacruz operates hotels (Hotel Almacruz in Santiago and Hotel Santa Cruz in Colchagua) along with tourism; Viña Santa Cruz produces premium wines and offers enotourism; New Tech Agro manufactures phytosanitary sulfurs (SUPERAZUFRE) and dioxin-free animal feed (SUPERFOS); Enorchile manages 5,500+ MW of power generation including 1,000 MW solar; New Tech Copper provides SELE® technology for copper electro-winning; Inmobiliaria Santa Cruz develops real estate across five Chilean regions; MetRan produces special steels for mining; and Casino Colchagua operates a gaming and entertainment venue.

Product overview

El Grupo Empresas Cardoen (GEC) is a diversified Chilean conglomerate with a portfolio of distinct business units operating across multiple industries. The group operates as a platform of eight strategic business units (UENs): Almacruz (tourism and hospitality with two hotels), Viña Santa Cruz (premium winemaking with enotourism), New Tech Agro (phytosanitary products and animal feed), EnorChile (energy generation and asset management), Inmobiliaria Santa Cruz (real estate development), New Tech Copper (mining technology including SELE® systems), MetRan (special steels for mining), and Casino Colchagua (gaming and entertainment). Cultural operations include the Museo de Colchagua and Museo de la Artesanía managed by the Cardoen Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hotel Almacruz: Hotel located in downtown Santiago, part of Almacruz tourism holding
• Hotel Santa Cruz
• SELE (Selective ELectrodeposition Enhancer)
• SUPERAZUFRE
• SUPERFOS
• Chamán Reserva
• Chamán Gran Reserva
• Tupu Edición Limitada
• Museo de Colchagua
• Museo de la Artesanía

Products and services

• Almacruz (Hotel Almacruz & Hotel Santa Cruz)
• Viña Santa Cruz wines (Chamán Reserva, Chamán Gran Reserva, Tupu Edición Limitada, Santa Cruz) Premium winery located in the Lolol valley, producing Chamán Reserva, Chamán Gran Reserva, Tupu Edición Limitada, and Santa Cruz varietals, with enotourism experiences featuring a cable car to Mapuche, Aymara, and Rapa Nui villages.
• SUPERAZUFRE (Phytosanitary Sulfurs and Fertilizers)
• SUPERFOS (Dioxin-Free Animal Feed Phosphates)
• Enorchile Energy Asset Management and O&M Services
• SELE® Copper Electro-Winning Technology
• Inmobiliaria Santa Cruz Real Estate Development
• Casino Colchagua Gaming and Entertainment
• MetRan Special Steels for Mining

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% market share in Chile for phytosanitary sulfurs and fertilizers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Latam Airlines Group: Chilean-headquartered diversified travel group. Adjacent comparability to GEC's tourism, hospitality, and aviation-adjacent transport heritage given the founder's aerospace origins and the group's tourism focus.

Regional players

• Grupo Security: Chilean financial and diversified services conglomerate. Comparable as a privately-controlled Chilean holding group operating multiple regulated and operating businesses with similar governance profile.
• Antofagasta PLC: Chilean-focused copper mining group operating in the Antofagasta region where New Tech Copper also serves electro-winning customers. Comparable as a customer for and potential partner with SELE® technology in copper production.

Broad incumbents

• Cencosud: Latin American retail and entertainment conglomerate with shopping centers, supermarkets, and entertainment venues. Comparable as a diversified Chilean holding with consumer-facing and real estate operations.
• Empresas Copec: Chilean diversified conglomerate with forestry, fishing, fuel distribution, and energy operations. Directly comparable as a large Chilean multi-vertical holding company with both industrial and consumer-facing businesses.
• Enel Americas: Major Latin American power generation and distribution company with significant renewables portfolio. Comparable to Enorchile's energy generation asset management and renewable energy footprint.
• SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile): Chilean specialty chemicals and mining company producing lithium, iodine, and agrochemicals. Comparable to New Tech Agro's agrochemical manufacturing and to New Tech Copper's mining chemicals orientation.

Direct peers

• Viña Concha y Toro: Chile's largest wine producer with extensive premium and export portfolio. Directly comparable to Viña Santa Cruz for premium Chilean wine production and global distribution.
• Sigdo Koppers: Chilean industrial conglomerate with mining services, special steels, and machinery distribution. Closely comparable in mining services (NTC) and special steels (MetRan) business units.
• Enjoy Casinos: Major Chilean casino operator with multiple gaming properties across Chile. Directly comparable to Casino Colchagua as a domestic gaming and entertainment competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupo-de-empresa-cardoen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about El Grupo Empresas Cardoen