WHO WE ARE
Picualia is located in the heart of the province of Jaén in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia, conveniently close to motorway A-4, which joins three of the big cities of the south (Cadiz, Seville and Cordoba) with Madrid. Picualia is regarded as one of the main contributors to the revolution that has shaken the olive-oil industry in recent years.
Picualia is a cooperative. It was created in 2009 when two experienced farm cooperatives, Agrícola de Bailén and Virgen de Zocueca, merged to create a powerful, modern oil mill. The name “Picualia” was chosen because the Picual olive is the members’ main crop. Of all the 2,600 types of olives found the world over, the Picual cultivar has the greatest number of healthy, antioxidant effects.
And so was born one of the most-innovative, best-known firms in the industry, making and marketing oils using only olives grown by Picualia’s member farmers. In 2016 Picualia was named the Best Oil Mill in Spain by the AEMO, the Spanish Association of Olive-growing Towns (Asociación Española de Municipios del Olivo).
Picualia’s reliability and deep commitment to making one of the finest extra-virgin olive oils in the world speak for themselves. Winners of over 50 Spanish and international prizes, Picualia olive oils are ranked among the very best year after year.
OUR HISTORY
The first two oil cooperatives in our city, Bailén, were founded 70 years ago. The farmers in both organizations always knew that sooner or later they would join forces in a merger that would make all their crops much more productive.
The merger took place in December 2009. Picualia was created with the idea of building a new, modern plant. The goal: to make high-quality oil in a carefully controlled process and to establish a system for close product traceability, to turn out the excellent virgin and extra-virgin Picualia olive oils that we market today.
In 2011 Picualia started receiving awards and other commendations acknowledging the quality of its oils, and it embarked on a series of investments aimed at producing high-quality extra-virgin olive oils. Picualia has invested 12.8 million euro to date in creating one of the world’s most modern olive-oil plants.
The Picualia oil mill won a variety of Spanish and international awards and acknowledgements in 2016. The foremost was the AEMO 2015-2016 season’s award for the Best Oil Mill in Spain, a real motivation for continuing to deliver the essence of Picualia: Passion, tradition, dedication and state-of-the-art technology.
Picualia now holds over 50 Spanish and international awards and is regarded as producing one of the finest extra-virgin olive oils in the world. What’s more, every season Picualia makes its position in the international extra-virgin olive-oil market even stronger.
1927
AGRÍCOLA DE BAILÉN
1957
VIRGEN DE
ZOCUECA S.C.A.
2009
14 December
MERGER START OF
AGRÍCOLA DE BAILÉN
V. DE ZOCUECA S.C.A.
2011
FIRST AWARD FOR
QUALITY IN
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
(2011 JAÉN SELECCIÓN).
The incentive for building
a new set of facilities
instalaciones
2015
26 SEPTEMBER
Opening of the new oil mill.
The media speak of the birth
of one of the world’s finest
oil mills
2015
DECEMBER
Start of the
Picualia Olive-oil Tourism project
2016
MAY
2016 AEMO Award
for the Best Oil Mill in Spain
2017
Opening of
the Picualia Shop
2017
INTERNATIONALIZATION.
The brand expands
to all markets
THE TEAM
The multidisciplinary team that represents Picualia is the soul of the oil mill. Every day they bring their very best to the job of building and growing a major international business.
A combination of experience with youth and education in every area our company covers.
EMILIO ARTERO VÁZQUEZ
Manager in charge of production, quality and food safety at Picualia.
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University-level expert’s certificate in virgin olive-oil tasting from the University of Jaén. University degree and technician’s certificate in olive-oil production and winemaking.
Emilio Artero Vázquez is the manager in charge of production, quality and food safety at Picualia.
He started his career at Picualia in 2002. Since then he has continued his specialized education at institutions like Andalusia International University in Baeza, the University of Jaén, the Venta del Llano section of the Agriculture and Fishery Research and Training Institute in Mengíbar, Citoliva and the Úbeda Oil Interpretation Centre.
He has received training in preventive controls under the US Food Safety Modernization Act, is a specialist in quality management systems and manages Picualia’s BRC and IFS programmes.
In 2017 the Spanish Association of Olive-growing Towns named him the Best Master Miller in Spain. He is a member of AEMODA (the Association of Master Millers and Mill Operators of Spain) and a member of the Citoliva oil-tasting panel.
Emilio stands for responsibility and ongoing improvement in coordinating all the mill’s processes. His strong leadership is part of what enables our company to achieve the results we’re aiming for.
Head of Olive Oil Tourism.
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Graduate in Tourism from the University of Córdoba and Graduate in Translation and Interpretation of English and French from the University of Córdoba, 2016-2022. In 2020-2021, concurring with the pandemic, Pilar has taken Erasmus+ studies at the Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”.
Her connection with the world of tourism is very interesting. Her stay in Rome, were linked to guided tours and tourism of differents Italian cities in the native language, finishing her studies in Italy with a B2 degree by the OLS. In addition, upon returning to Cordoba, in her last year of her studies, she completed her internship program at Eurostars Palace 5* Hotel. At the end of this period she was hired by the Eurostars Hotel, so she spent the last year of her career finishing her 2 university degrees and working full time in this hotel, with increasing responsibilities.
She has numerous courses in tourism and linguistics in her curriculum. Pilar is from Bailén, where she lives. She is a hard-working, responsible, proactive, sociable, organized, punctual and eager to learn, skills that together with her brilliant CV, have brought her to Picualia. Language skills are something that stands out in Pilar’s profile: she speaks English, French and Italian, so she welcomes our oleotourists in several languages.
JOSE MARÍA DEL ÁGUILA RUSILLO
Head of relations with cooperative members
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Primary teacher’s diploma from the Jaén Teachers’ Training College.
José María left a career in government offices to come to our administrative offices in 1998. He’s our most veteran player, the one who brings the most experience and knowledge to the field.
He is currently part of the multidisciplinary team of the Administration, Finance and Accounting Department and the Marketing Department, where he is head of relations with the farmers who belong to Picualia.
He’s a congenial, helpful person, always ready to take on problems and find a solution. He is the glue that keeps all the members of the company together.
TERESA JURADO SÁNCHEZ
Manager of the Administration, Finance and Accounting Department
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Licentiate degree in business administration from the University of Granada. Certificate under Citoliva’s Senior Executive programme.
She has been at the helm of the Administration, Finance and Accounting Department since 2003 and is a pillar of the company.
She specializes in virgin olive-oil tasting, foreign trade and business management.
Teresa is a responsible, friendly, methodical person and excels at handling Picualia’s economic and financial work.
FRANCISCO RUÍZ LUQUE
Field technician in charge of checking and monitoring the farms that belong to the cooperative that grows olives for Picualia
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Master’s degree in olive growing, olive oil and health from the University of Jaén. Licentiate degree in biology and environmental science from the University of Jaén.
He is the field technician in charge of checking and monitoring the farms that belong to the cooperative that grows olives for Picualia. Providing member farmers with expert agricultural advice is part of his job. He is also head of Picualia’s Integrated Production section.
Francisco is a responsible, courteous, friendly person, so he has the perfect gifts to be the perfect farm management consultant for Picualia.
JUAN ANTONIO RODRÍGUEZ MOLINO
Head of national and international logistics and sales
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University expert’s certificate in efficient olive-oil marketing from the International University of Andalusia and advanced technical degree in commercial management and marketing.
He is currently head of national and international logistics and sales at Picualia. Juan Antonio has responsibilities in other areas of the company, too. He is a core person whose job gives him a role to play in all the work of managing the company. He has the experience, too, because he has worked for the firm since 2009.
He specializes in virgin oil tastings, team management, customer service and foreign trade.
Juan Antonio is an enterprising, congenial extrovert. A true professional who can adapt to every challenge placed before him.
