Grupo Kalise

Grupo Kalise is a Spanish food manufacturer headquartered in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The company is primarily associated with ice cream, frozen desserts, and yogurt-related products, and developed from the Canary Islands ice-cream business marketed under the Kalise name during the expansion of tourism and modern refrigeration in Spain. Its history is closely connected with La Menorquina, the Menorca-based ice-cream company founded by Fernando Pons Sintes after the Second World War. Although Kalise and La Menorquina began as separate businesses, their ownership and operations were progressively brought together during the late twentieth century. The Kalise side of the business emerged in the early 1960s when businessman Delfín Suárez used the family company Interglas to manufacture and market ice cream in Gran Canaria under the Kalise name. In parallel, La Menorquina expanded beyond Menorca through acquisitions, partnerships, and manufacturing operations in Mallorca and Barcelona. La Menorquina’s growth was supported by the increasing importance of tourism, hotels, restaurants, and food-service distribution, all of which helped turn ice cream from an occasional luxury into a widely available commercial product. In 1990, Suárez acquired the shares of La Menorquina after the retirement of its founder, Fernando Pons Sintes. The two businesses continued to operate as distinct companies for a period, but their ownership relationship eventually led to a broader combination. In 1999, after Beatrice Foods exited the business, Interglas completed the merger with La Menorquina. The resulting Kalise Menorquina Group became notable as a Spanish national manufacturer with entirely Canarian capital. La Menorquina also developed international sales, exporting to 27 countries during this period. The group expanded its local dairy and chilled-food presence in 2005 by acquiring a 95 percent stake in SIALSA, producer and distributor of the Sandra yogurt brand in the Canary Islands. This broadened the group beyond ice cream, although frozen desserts remained central to its market identity. A major ownership change occurred in 2017, when Grupo Farga acquired the GKM business for €40 million. The transaction resulted in the separation of the former combined structure. Kalise retained its operational base in the Canary Islands and continued producing ice-cream and yogurt lines, while La Menorquina continued its own commercial activities alongside the Farggi brand. The former Grupo La Menorquina structure was subsequently disbanded and Grupo Kalise S.A. emerged as a separate company. Today, Grupo Kalise is best understood as a regional Spanish food brand with roots in the Canary Islands and a broader history of national distribution and international export. Its positioning centers on accessible frozen desserts and related refrigerated products, serving both consumer retail and, through the wider historical business, food-service channels. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current parent company, controlling owner, executive roster, financial results, or a detailed current geographic sales breakdown.

Grupo Kalise’s history is linked to the development of industrial ice cream and tourism in the Spanish islands. The related La Menorquina business was established on Menorca by Fernando Pons Sintes in 1950 under the name La Estrella, and adopted the La Menorquina name in 1955. Sintes had earlier worked in the chocolate trade and in 1956 acquired La Tropical de Mahón, a Mahon-based chocolate company with nineteenth-century origins. La Menorquina initially concentrated on supplying restaurants and subsequently expanded through collaborations and acquisitions. During the 1960s, tourism and the wider availability of refrigeration made frozen desserts more commercially viable. La Menorquina acquired Helados Marisa, which later became associated with Beatrice Foods. Related refrigeration and manufacturing assets in Barcelona and Mallorca allowed the business to increase its distribution capacity. La Menorquina marketed several brands in Mallorca, including La Menorquina, Matisa, and Calatayud. In 1983, Marisa merged with La Menorquina, consolidating production facilities in Menorca, Mallorca, and Barcelona under the La Menorquina organization. The Kalise business developed separately in Gran Canaria. In the early 1960s, businessman Delfín Suárez used the family company Interglas to manufacture and market ice cream under the Kalise name. The brand benefited from the same structural changes affecting La Menorquina: growing tourism, an expanding hospitality sector, and improved cold-chain infrastructure. Kalise became associated with the Canary Islands while La Menorquina built a wider Spanish and international presence. In 1990, following Sintes’s retirement, Suárez acquired all shares of La Menorquina. Ownership had therefore become connected, although the Kalise and La Menorquina companies remained operationally separate for some time. La Menorquina later developed exports to 27 countries. In 1999, Beatrice Foods exited the business, enabling Interglas to complete a merger with La Menorquina. The combined enterprise became the Kalise Menorquina Group and was described as the first national manufacturer with entirely Canarian capital. The group broadened its portfolio in 2005 by acquiring 95 percent of SIALSA, which produced and sold the Sandra yogurt brand locally. This gave the group a stronger position in yogurt and dairy products in addition to its established ice-cream and frozen-dessert business. In 2017, Grupo Farga acquired the GKM business for €40 million. The transaction separated the previously combined Kalise and La Menorquina structure. Kalise retained its Canary Islands operating base and continued producing ice-cream and yogurt lines. La Menorquina continued commercializing its own product lines and the Farggi brand. The former Grupo La Menorquina was disbanded, and Grupo Kalise S.A. became the separate corporate structure associated with the Kalise business. Public reference material does not provide enough information to document later ownership, management, revenue, or detailed current market developments.

• 2017

  Separation following Grupo Farga acquisition

  [1]Grupo Kaliseen.wikipedia.org

  Grupo Farga acquired the GKM business for €40 million. The former combined structure was dismantled, with Kalise and La Menorquina continuing separately.

• 2005

  Acquisition of SIALSA

  [1]Grupo Kaliseen.wikipedia.org

  Kalise Menorquina acquired a 95 percent stake in SIALSA, producer and seller of the Sandra yogurt brand in the Canary Islands.

• 1999

  Interglas merges with La Menorquina

  [1]Grupo Kaliseen.wikipedia.org

  After Beatrice Foods left the business, Interglas completed a merger with La Menorquina, creating the Kalise Menorquina Group.

• 1990

  Ownership of La Menorquina passes to Delfín Suárez

  [1]Grupo Kaliseen.wikipedia.org

  Following Fernando Pons Sintes’s retirement, Delfín Suárez acquired all shares of La Menorquina, connecting the ownership histories of the Kalise and La Menorquina businesses.

• 1960

  Kalise ice-cream business develops in Gran Canaria

  [1]Grupo Kaliseen.wikipedia.org

  Delfín Suárez’s family company Interglas began manufacturing and marketing ice cream under the Kalise name in Las Palmas and the surrounding Canary Islands market.

A Canary Islands-rooted regional food brand focused on accessible ice cream, frozen desserts, and related dairy products, with historical reach across Spain and export markets.

• Ice cream · 1960

  Kalise ice cream

  The core product line associated with the Kalise name. It developed in Gran Canaria during the expansion of tourism and commercial refrigeration and remains the brand’s principal consumer-facing category. The available reference material identifies the line broadly as ice cream but does not provide a complete current range, flavor list, packaging information, or individual product launch dates.

• Frozen desserts

  Kalise frozen desserts

  Frozen dessert products associated with Grupo Kalise’s broader ice-cream manufacturing activity. The category reflects the company’s role in supplying both consumer and historical food-service markets, although publicly available material does not specify the complete assortment or current product architecture.

• Yogurt and dairy products

  Sandra yogurt

  A locally sold yogurt brand produced and marketed by SIALSA. Grupo Kalise Menorquina acquired a 95 percent stake in SIALSA in 2005, extending the group’s portfolio beyond frozen desserts into yogurt and related dairy products in the Canary Islands.

• 2017

  Acquisition by Grupo Farga and corporate separationM&A

  Background

  The GKM business comprised the previously connected Kalise and La Menorquina operations.

  Action taken

  Grupo Farga acquired the GKM business for €40 million, after which the former combined structure was separated.

  Aftermath

  Kalise retained its Canary Islands operating base and its ice-cream and yogurt lines, while La Menorquina continued separately with its own lines and the Farggi brand. Grupo Kalise S.A. emerged as a separate company.

  Acquisition price. €40 million (2017 transaction)

  Source

• 2005

  Expansion into yogurt through SIALSAM&A

  Background

  The group sought to broaden its food portfolio beyond ice cream and frozen desserts.

  Action taken

  Kalise Menorquina acquired 95 percent of SIALSA, producer and seller of the Sandra yogurt brand.

  Aftermath

  The group added a locally established yogurt business and expanded its presence in dairy products in the Canary Islands.

  Source

• 1999

  Merger creating the Kalise Menorquina GroupM&A

  Background

  Interglas and La Menorquina had become connected through common ownership, while Beatrice Foods had exited the business.

  Action taken

  Interglas merged with La Menorquina, forming the Kalise Menorquina Group.

  Aftermath

  The combined company became a national ice-cream manufacturer with entirely Canarian capital and retained the ability to serve Spanish and export markets.

  Source

1. 1Grupo Kaliseen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Grupo Kalise official websitekalise.es