Acesur
A Spanish food group specializing in olive oil, vegetable oils, table olives, sauces, vinegars and condiments, with brands including La Española, Coosur and Al Amir.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Acesur is a Spanish food group built around the production, refining, bottling, marketing and export of olive oil and other edible oils. Its history is traced to 1840, placing the company among the long-established participants in Spain's olive-oil industry. The group is headquartered in Dos Hermanas, Seville, and maintains industrial, commercial and processing operations in several Spanish locations, particularly in Andalusia, Jaén, Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid. The company's principal consumer brands are La Española and Coosur. La Española has been used to develop international distribution as well as domestic retail sales, while Coosur became part of the group through Acesur's 2002 acquisition of the Coosur business in Vilches, Jaén. Acesur also markets Al Amir and has expanded beyond olive oil into vegetable oils, table olives, vinegars, sauces, mayonnaises and other condiments. Its portfolio therefore combines branded packaged food with industrial processing and refining capabilities. Acesur's business covers multiple stages of the value chain. These include olive milling, oil storage, refining, bottling, treatment of olive by-products, production of export products and the manufacture of sunflower oil and biodiesel. The group has reported more than 600 employees across its Spanish locations and has developed an international business in which exports account for a substantial share of turnover. Its markets have included the United States, Brazil, China and countries in the Middle East, with exports reported to reach more than 80 countries. International expansion was an important part of the company's development during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Exports to the United States began in 1975, and La Española was positioned in Brazil during the 1980s. A factory and refinery in Aleppo, Syria, was established in 2000 to supply bottled olive oil to Syria and other Middle Eastern markets. Acesur later reported a significant position in China's imported olive-oil market, principally through the La Española and Coosur brands. The group has also pursued adjacent activities. In 2008 it acquired an olive-waste plant in Jabalquinto, Jaén, followed by the opening of a cogeneration plant there in 2009. It organized renewable-energy activities under Enersur, with branches covering biomass, electric cogeneration and biodiesel. A biodiesel plant began operating in Tarancón in 2011. In 2010, Acesur acquired Duendesol, giving it an entry point into sauces and broadening its food portfolio beyond oils. Acesur remains a privately held Spanish food company rather than a publicly traded issuer. Its identity is closely associated with Andalusian olive-oil production, large-scale processing and international branded distribution. Public reference material documents a long sequence of reorganizations, acquisitions and facility developments, but does not establish a complete current ownership chart or a reliable list of present and former executives. Those fields are therefore left unpopulated rather than inferred.
History
Acesur's corporate history is traced to 1840, when the business began within Spain's developing olive-oil sector. In 1841, the Luca de Tena name was registered in Seville, and a successor known as Hijos de Luca de Tena was registered in 1891. These early entities established the historical foundation from which the later group developed. Following a sale and reorganization in 1947, Aceites y Jabones Luca de Tena was created. Luca de Tena, S.A. followed in 1948, and the group underwent further corporate restructuring in 1952 and 1953. Aceites Giralda, S.A. was established in 1968. During a broader reorganization in 1974, the Aceites Giralda name was sold, some brands were divested and other activities were consolidated under Olivarera Internacional, S.A., commonly known as OLIVASA. The company began exporting to the United States in 1975. In 1976, the Guillen family joined the business, bringing established olive-oil expertise. The group changed its name to Aceites del Sur, S.A. in 1988, emphasizing its Andalusian origin and supporting a renewed focus on investment and marketing. In 1989, the La Española brand entered a more structured distribution phase in Brazil, with coverage in several major cities. The company marked its 150th anniversary in 1990. During 1995 and 1996, the Brazilian business expanded and the company began negotiations with Cargill. International development continued with the construction of a factory and refinery in Aleppo in 2000. That site was intended to serve the Syrian market and provide export capacity for countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Yemen. Acesur acquired Coosur in Vilches, Jaén, and Olcesa in Tarancón, Cuenca, in 2002. These transactions strengthened the group's industrial base and brought the Coosur brand into its portfolio. In 2004, the company reported that its La Española and Coosur exports represented approximately 10% of China's olive-oil imports. In 2008, it purchased an olive-waste facility in Jabalquinto, Jaén, and opened a cogeneration plant at that location in 2009. As the organization grew, Acesur became the name used for the group as a whole. The group broadened its activities in 2010 by acquiring Duendesol and entering the sauce category. Around the same period, it established the Juan Ramón Guillén Foundation, a social and cultural initiative intended to support the preservation and development of olive groves. Acesur also organized a renewable-energy division called Enersur, covering biomass, electric cogeneration and biodiesel. A biodiesel plant began operating in Tarancón in 2011. The modern group combines olive milling, refining, storage, bottling, edible-oil manufacturing, food-brand management, export sales and treatment of olive by-products. Its Spanish facilities include sites in Dos Hermanas, La Roda de Andalucía, Tarancón, Madrid, Mora de Toledo, Vilches, Puente del Obispo and Jabalquinto. The group has also operated internationally, including the Aleppo facility described in historical company material. Acesur's principal consumer identity remains associated with La Española and Coosur, while Al Amir and products such as sauces, vinegars, table olives and condiments extend the portfolio beyond bottled olive oil. The available sources do not provide a complete current ownership structure or sufficiently documented executive chronology.
- 2011
Biodiesel production begins
[1]A biodiesel plant began operating in Tarancón, complementing the group's renewable-energy activities.
- 2010
Duendesol acquired
[1]Acesur acquired Duendesol and expanded into sauces.
- 2009
Cogeneration plant opened
[1]A cogeneration plant began operating at the Jabalquinto site.
- 2008
Olive-waste facility acquired
[1]The group purchased an olive-waste treatment plant in Jabalquinto, Jaén.
- 2002
Coosur and Olcesa acquired
[1]Acesur purchased Coosur in Jaén and Olcesa in Cuenca.
- 2000
Aleppo factory and refinery built
[1]A factory and refinery was established in Aleppo to serve Syria and nearby Middle Eastern export markets.
- 1988
Renamed Aceites del Sur
[1]The group adopted the Aceites del Sur name to emphasize its Andalusian origin and support investment and marketing activities.
- 1975
United States exports begin
[1]Acesur began exporting olive oil to the United States.
- 1968
Aceites Giralda established
[1]Aceites Giralda, S.A. was created as part of the group's corporate development.
- 1952
Group reconstituted as a public limited company
[1]The group underwent a further legal restructuring as a public limited company.
Products and positioning
A Spanish, vertically integrated olive-oil and food group combining Andalusian production expertise, branded consumer products and international distribution.
Olive-oil brand
La Española
La Española is one of Acesur's principal consumer brands. Its portfolio centers on extra-virgin olive oil and other olive-oil products, with distribution in Spain and international markets. The brand was used in the group's expansion into Brazil and China and has also been associated with the company's broader export business.
Olive-oil brand
Coosur
Coosur is a major Acesur olive-oil brand acquired with the Coosur business in 2002. It focuses on packaged olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil for household cooking and retail consumption. Coosur also forms part of Acesur's international brand portfolio, including its reported activity in China.
Food brand
Al Amir
Al Amir is an Acesur-associated food brand included in the group's documented brand portfolio. The available reference material identifies the brand but does not provide enough detail to describe its complete current product range or market positioning.
Food oils
Edible oils
Acesur produces and markets olive oils alongside vegetable oils, including sunflower oil. Its industrial activities cover refining, storage, bottling and distribution, allowing the group to supply both branded retail products and broader food-industry channels.
Condiments · 2010
Sauces, vinegars and condiments
Beyond oils, Acesur's food portfolio includes table olives, vinegars, sauces, mayonnaise and other condiments. The acquisition of Duendesol in 2010 is documented as the group's entry into the sauce market.
Renewable energy division
Enersur
Enersur is Acesur's renewable-energy division. Its documented activities include biomass, electric cogeneration and biodiesel, linking energy production with the processing of olive waste and other industrial outputs.
Brand decisions
2011
Expansion of renewable-energy operationsStrategyBackground
The group was developing activities related to olive by-products and industrial energy generation.
Action taken
A biodiesel plant began operating in Tarancón, within the broader Enersur renewable-energy structure.
Aftermath
The move expanded Acesur's activities into biodiesel alongside biomass and cogeneration.
2010
Entry into sauces through DuendesolM&ABackground
Acesur was broadening its business beyond olive oil and related edible oils.
Action taken
The company acquired Duendesol.
Aftermath
The transaction gave Acesur a presence in the sauce category and supported a wider packaged-food portfolio.
2002
Acquisition of Coosur and OlcesaM&ABackground
Acesur sought to enlarge its industrial capacity and branded portfolio within the Spanish edible-oils sector.
Action taken
The group acquired Coosur in Vilches, Jaén, and Olcesa in Tarancón, Cuenca.
Aftermath
Coosur became one of Acesur's principal consumer brands, while the acquired sites strengthened refining, bottling and edible-oil operations.
Recent events
- 2011
Acesur reaches more than 80 export markets[1]
Other
The group's international business was reported to extend to more than 80 countries, with exports accounting for a substantial share of turnover.
- 2010
Acesur enters sauces through Duendesol[1]
M&A
The group acquired Duendesol, broadening its food activities into sauces.
- 2004
Acesur expands its Chinese olive-oil business[1]
Other
The company reported that its exports represented about 10% of China's olive-oil imports, primarily through La Española and Coosur.
- 2002
Acesur acquires Coosur and Olcesa[1]
M&A
The company purchased Coosur in Vilches, Jaén, and Olcesa in Tarancón, Cuenca, expanding its industrial footprint and brand portfolio.
- 2000
Acesur establishes an olive-oil facility in Syria[1]
Other
The group built a factory and refinery in Aleppo to supply bottled olive oil in Syria and export to additional Middle Eastern markets.
- 1989
La Española expands in Brazil[1]
Other
Acesur developed distribution for the La Española brand in several Brazilian cities, including Salvador da Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba and Florianópolis.
- 1975
Acesur begins exports to the United States[1]
Other
The company started exporting olive oil to the United States, a market in which it later became a significant supplier.
Sources1 sources
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