Ramirez & Cª (Filhos), SA, the oldest company in the world operating in the canned fish sector, is preparing the relaunch of the also historic brand “La Rose”, as part of the 6th anniversary of the Portimão Museum, which takes place next Saturday, May 24th, at 17 pm.
The “La Rose” brand – which for much of the 1970th century internationalized the names of Portimão and Portugal through the promotional effort carried out by the house Feu in countries such as England, Belgium, France, Germany, USA, Netherlands, among others – no longer be produced in the late 1902s and now returns to the building where, in XNUMX, the former “Feu Hermanos” factory was born, today the Portimão Museum.
«The La Rose brand is an ex-libris of the great canning industry in the Algarve. Despite its history being well preserved in the Portimão Museum, I remembered to give it new life and my friend António Feu encouraged me. Respecting its visual identity, we have updated its image and we are already producing and marketing a canned sardine in olive oil of the La Rose brand», explains Manuel G. Ramirez, chairman of the board of directors of Ramirez & Cª (Children), SA , who wants to see La Rose regain its former prestige through a wide range of high quality preserves.
«This is a project much cherished by the Museu de Portimão, which is now able to exhibit the historiography of a brand that deserves a second life and that will induce many visits; but that will also be, I am sure, much cherished, either by the city of Portimão, which sees a dear daughter return, or in Portugal and in several markets where the brand has been missed”, says Manuel G. Ramirez.
This initiative reinforces the identity of a brand that is part of the heritage of the Portimonense and Algarve canning industry and draws attention to a new paradigm of museological management, in which museums play a decisive role in linking history and heritage with society and the economy.
From the perspective of Ramirez's management, this re-launch is justified, either "by the nature of social responsibility", which is not unrelated to some "longing for", and also "on the basis of its financial sustainability".
«Despite being out of the market for over 30 years, La Rose still enjoys a capital of enormous sympathy in Portugal and abroad. the identities vintage they are also very popular in various markets. Therefore, it is expected that the brand may have some impact on the company's sales in the medium and long term», adds Manuel TM Ramirez, director, son of the chairman of the board of directors and member of the fifth generation of the family in charge of destinations from the company.
Immediately, and as a reintroduction on the market, 100 cans of two references – sardines in olive oil and tuna in olive oil – will be offered for sale in Portugal. Some of La Rose's historic international markets are already being worked on.
the canning diplomat
Manuel Guerreiro Ramirez was born on September 1, 1941, in Vila Real de Santo António, and came into contact with the family factory from an early age. At the age of 15, Manuel Guerreiro Ramirez already knew the corners of the company's production units. Remember the environment and every detail of that time.
From the so-called “forest”, to the mysterious books of canning masters, passing through ten kilogram cans – which he says are “real poems”. But what he remembers with most nostalgia is the sweet and vanishing aroma of cooked tuna, which invaded the nostrils of everyone in Vila Real de Santo António. At the factory and on any street in the village...
As a teenager, he headed to Hamburg, where he attended a commercial course and worked in a factory that produced and sold canned herring. Did a little of everything. He was in the laboratory and produced semi-preserved candies, but above all, he guarantees, he absorbed lessons for life. Whether in the field of fish markets, or in the attitude towards life...
He was also in England for over a year, working in the commercial area of a Brooker from the City of London, then on to Paris, where he studied Food Engineering, specializing in canning.
In 1962, returning from abroad, he took over the management of the Vila Real de Santo António unit, starting a coordination path that extended to the entire company after his father's death. And, by virtue of mastering other languages and having privileged contacts abroad, he coordinated the export effort of many dozens of factories existing then throughout the Algarve.
For 12 years, he was president of the National Association of Canned Fish Industry (ANICP), on behalf of which he successfully defended the direct sale of fish to factories.
He was also a member (president for one year) of the European Association of Fish Processors (AIPCEE), a capacity in which, with all diplomacy, he managed to unite the European family of canned fish in the Tuna and Sardines working groups and have the European Community promulgated designation of origin of the «Sardina pilchardus walbaum» – hake in Portuguese waters and used in canning «made in Portugal», at the expense of other species from South America, such as «Sardinops sagax».
In the associative domain, he also held the position of director of the Confederation of Portuguese Industry (CIP), within which he developed the «Code of Good Commercial Practices».
He is director of Associação Comercial de Lisboa and the current owner of Ramirez & Cia (Filhos), SA, where, in addition to general management, he has been responsible for introducing the most modern production methods, techniques and materials.
Appreciated by the company's employees, he was also – for several decades and like his father – consul of Finland, a responsibility he has already passed on to his son Manuel TM Ramirez.
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