Metco’s president and founder, Héctor Álvarez de la Cadena Sillas, passed away on February 12 in Mexico City, the company announced. Mr. Álvarez de la Cadena founded Metco in 1990 with his eldest son Héctor Álvarez de la Cadena Martinez.
Today, with more than 500 employees, Metco is the leading company in sweetener solutions in Mexico with more than 30 different products, including diverse bio-products based on its research and development, thanks to the founder and president’s innovative vision and work ethic.
Under Álvarez de la Cadena’s leadership, Metco developed six industrial patents such as the co-crystallization of sugar with stevia, creating the first low-calorie sweetener on the market, Azúcar BC. It was also the creator of Svetia, the leading sweetener in the stevia segment in Mexico, with a 27% market share according to Nielsen 2020.
Metco, with all its brands, has 36% of the Mexican market and exports to more than ten countries such as the USA, Spain, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
Related Article: Svetia: The Original Mexican Stevia Sweetener With An Unmatched Flavor
Mr. Héctor, who holds a degree in Economics from UNAM and a postgraduate degree in International Marketing from the OAS, was also General Coordinator of the UN Industrial Technology Foresight System, Vice President of CANACINTRA and Commissioner of the Board of Directors of CIGATAM, as well as President of the Africa and Middle East section of COMCE (Mexican Foreign Trade Council).
Edurne Balmori, CEO of Metco, said, “Hector was in every sense of the word, a born leader. Someone with drive and innovation to move things forward, inspiring through his words and actions, knowing how to be an example of what he wanted to transmit to others. Someone with a tremendous human sense, always supporting his fellow man, in love with his country, always seeking to contribute positively to its improvement, and a great teacher of life for all of us who had the fortune of being part of his path.” “Without a doubt, his departure leaves a hole in our souls. Still, he leaves us a remarkable legacy that is Metco, as well as the teamwork and love of work that he forged in all of us, and we will continue to work ethically and humanely to honor his legacy,” added Balmori.
Metco is the leading Mexican company in the production of sweetening systems (no-calorie sweeteners, low-calorie sweeteners, high-performance sugars, invert sugars, and mascabados). Its consumer products portfolio includes Svetia, Azúcar BC, Mascabado BC, Mascabado Genuino, Sweet 0, and Monkiä.