Since 2011, Sisamex Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, as a subsidiary of Grupo Cydsa de México, has been in charge of consolidating the commercialization of salt for human and industrial consumption in the United States.
To learn more about the origin of salt, quality, and why it is known as “The Taste of Mexico,” Abasto Magazine interviewed Sisamex’s national sales and marketing manager, Víctor Matus, us details about the product and what makes them superior.
Abasto Magazine: Where is the salt that you sell produced?
Víctor Matus: Our production plant is located in Coatzacoalcos, in Veracruz’s beautiful state. In this location are the extraction wells, the evaporation plant, the filling and packing lines. Here our engineers and technicians enable an operation that has received awards such as “Shingo” for excellence in manufacturing and food safety certifications such as FSSC 22000.
AM: How is the process to produce evaporated salt?
VM: When you put a grain of La Fina Salt in your hand, you are putting a mineral that comes from millions of years ago. In our process, salt domes are first identified hundreds of meters below ground. The salt is extracted by mixing it with fresh water. Later, it is pumped to the production plant, where it undergoes four evaporation effects so that the product does not contain any remaining moisture. This salt is directed to the packaging section where it is finally placed in the jar that everyone remembers with our emblematic dove that symbolizes “The Taste of Mexico.”
AM: You are in charge of distributing Sales del Istmo products. How has the business growth process been in the US?
VM: It has been a path of many challenges and also of many lessons. Obviously, doing business in the US represents a gigantic opportunity for any Mexican brand due to the size of the market and the disposition of consumer spending. However, the consumer is not the same, and the channels do not behave the same.
The first thing we learned was understanding the new habits of consumers and adapting our portfolio accordingly. On the other hand, is a category of ingredients such as Salt; the cost of transportation has a very high weight, so as we found routes, transportation, and winning combinations, our opportunities began to open. Finally, the years of opening the market and providing high service standards consolidated a platform that allowed us to grow at exponential scales, and that was ready and solid to meet the market’s needs.
AM: What products are you selling in the US?
VM: We currently participate in several segments with different solutions. We serve the food production and service market, water purification, livestock feeding, pool maintenance, and of course, in products for the final consumer. In the latter, we participate with brands of Evaporated Salt such as our classic La Fina bottle, a chili and lemon seasoning powder, and various brands of Sea Salt in grain.
AM: What is the meaning of the Kosher Quality and Halal Quality certifications that your products hold?
VM: These certifications mean that our processes and supplies, from start to finish, meet the quality standards set by the Jewish community and the Islamic community for food products.
AM: What differentiates Salts del Istmo’s products from similar ones on the market?
VM: Without a doubt, our main differentiator is the relevance and authority that our brands have within the Latino population. Another axis is service and quality in our business relationships. When you multiply our brands by our associates’ talent, it is a winning formula that has given us the success obtained so far.
AM: How are you working to continue producing and marketing your products safely during the pandemic?
VM: The drive of all our associates and our organizational culture have achieved that all our operations have adapted in an accelerated way to the times in which we live. From production to customer service, sanitary provisions were implemented. All the necessary prevention methods were established to ensure our plant’s operation at the same time as our associates’ health. On the business side, we digitize and upload all of our features on a virtual basis to never disrupt or weaken our service standard. We feel closer to our clients than before.
Sisamex: [email protected] Telephone: 214-575-9813, Dallas, Texas; www.cydsa.com/sales-del-istmo; www.facebook.com/Sal-La-Fina-USA-304118080298349; www.linkedin.com/in/victor-matus