History

From the moment Fernandez and Canivell patented their revolutionary formula under the name Ceregumil, up to the present day, almost a century has passed.

Ceregumil is a product with a long tradition in the market (more than 95 years) and its consumption is a deeply rooted custom in most families. It forms a part of our collective memory.

BUT HOW WAS CEREGUMIL BORN?

The creator of this famous tonic was the Pharmacist born in Granada in 1878 and resident in Montilla (Cordoba) Bernabé Fernandez Sanchez, who could not imagine the extent to which his syrup would become known.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Bernabé married Blanca Canivell Pascual and began to set up his pharmacy in Montilla, called "Moderna" and located in calle Corredera, 49.

At that time, standing on the packed shelves of the Pharmacy Moderna in Calle Corredera, you could already see a number of dark squat jars with hand-written labels and totally unadorned, pronouncing the following message:

PRODUCTS FROM THE LABORATORY OF BERNABÉ FERNÁNDEZ
Pharmacist
Extract of cereals and leguminous plants

In effect, this was the Ceregumil already invented by Bernabé Fernández, and which was shortly to extend its excellent qualities first across Spain and later throughout America, Europe and Africa.

Ceregumil sold so well that Bernabé Fernández Sánchez was forced to fulfil two objectives: first, to register the invention (1912) and second, to look for a city near the sea or a sea port, where he could manufacture, distribute and export Ceregumil all around the world.

It was then that a factory was opened in Malaga (1921), with one of the most modern and mechanised manufacturing processes of that era and Ceregumil was distributed to most of the world. Its final introduction in the market occurred when the company backed up its production with what we would nowadays call an aggressive strategy anticipating the modern techniques of market research, marketing and publicity.

Fully prepared to embark on the final industrial stage, all the advertising resources were sought in order to achieve a greater projection and commercialisation of the product. All the work relating to the production and distribution was organised. And, most importantly, the product was accredited with new promotional ideas for the whole of Spain and part of America, Europe and Africa.

Ceregumil was already able to show on its label the gold medal it was awarded in the Palma de Mallorca Exposition and at the beginning of the 1920s it became a leader in the consumer and sales lists. Other successes were to follow around that period such as in the Trade Fair and Exposition of Malaga (1924), in the Latin American Exposition in Seville (1929), the International Exposition in Peru (1949), etc. Later on, it would be selected to be an Honourable Member of the Chambers of Commerce of Buenos Aires (1959) and Venezuela (1973).

The Fernandez and Canivell partnership (Granadino inner confidence judiciously combined with Cordoban calm, enhanced with a Catalan sense of the progressive and founding its projection on the Malagueño character of universality) immediately set about designing a strategy of great graphic and creative beauty. They test it and the result is a success. They repeat the operation and if they manage to attract interest from all the country's graphic artists, the company succeeds in getting their product advertised all across the country in the graphic work of the best designers in the field.

Indeed, whenever there is a need to project the product in a particular area of Spain or any other country in which Ceregumil enters the market, they call upon the graphic artists to come up with their proposals. The response obtained from the Spanish creative artists is such that within very few years no other company in Spain would be able to assemble a collection of graphic work of the quality achieved by Ceregumil.

The 60s and the 70s saw the widespread distribution of the product thanks to the use of radio and Ceregumil moved in step with the times setting up new installations in the El Viso Industrial Estate in Malaga (1972). In the 80s it began to make its first appearances on television and by the 90s in addition to developing its line of new products it can claim a considerable presence on the television screens. The product range increased to meet new demands. Today the company not only manufactures tonics, the new trends such as Ginseng, or Royal Jelly have been added to the range of products. Products have also been developed for specific needs, as is the case with CEREGUMIL PHOSPHORUS (a multi-vitamin product that reinforces the memory, ideal for students and for those persons over the age of 50 who may suffer from slight memory loss) and Isogumil (a Soya based product ideal for women going through their menopause or pre-menopause phase). Isogumil (un producto a base de soja ideal para la mujer en su fase de menopausia y premenopausia).

The last developments are Ceregumil Vitamix and Ceregumil Vitamix Plus.

With the advent of the 21st Century and about to celebrate the first centenary of Ceregumil (it will be in 2007) the company is faced with new challenges. Starting from the basis of our concept of NATURAL products, the Department of Research and Development is working, in conjunction with a number of different universities, on new developments that will bring together the concepts of "diet" and "health", with the sole aim of improving the health of city inhabitants by means of a series of natural dietary products. The new projects require the opening of new installations and within three years we expect to be in operation in the Technological Park of Malaga.