History

In 1945, in the villages of Estable, El Carmen and Carmelita, located between the municipalities of Riofrío and Yotoco, Mr. ALFREDO GARRIDO TOVAR bought some land from Mr. Santiago Rengifo, with the vision of creating his own company which he called CULTIVOS ALFREDO GARRIDO TOVAR LTDA. There he installed a sugarcane mill that worked until 1954.

When his entrepreneurial and social vocation motivated him to transform his company into a sugar producer, the only one in the Valley on the left bank of the Cauca River, which by 1965 was already consolidated within the Colombian sugar industry.

In 1968, after the absence of its founder, the courage and drive bequeathed to his wife Mrs. EULALIA AMEZQUITA DE GARRIDO and their children HAROLD, MARICEL and AMPARO, allowed the continuity of the Company, for the benefit of the whole region. By 1974 the company had considerably increased its production and it was decided to convert it into a corporation, taking the name of INGENIO CARMELITA S.A., in recognition of the Virgin of Carmen, to whom its founder was devoted.

During the 80's and 90's INGENIO CARMELITA S.A. began its growth and expansion stage, implementing processes and state-of-the-art technology in all its areas, which was continued in the new century. In 1998, Mrs. EULALIA AMEZQUITA DE GARRIDO passed away, inheriting to all her children and grandchildren the tenacity and perseverance to make it last in time.

is today one of the most important agro-industrial companies in the southwest of Colombia, which counts mostly with a Human Talent residing in the region where it operates, whose Principles of Transparency, Maintenance of Excellence, Customer Orientation, Teamwork and Social Commitment characterize their individual and professional performance.