Our founder, Hernando Caicedo, was a brave man from Valle del Cauca who took advantage of the natural and agricultural wealth of the department, its warm temperatures and the quality and fertility of its soils to produce sweets and confectionery with tropical fruit flavors, which have conquered generations of consumers.
In 1918, Don Hernando Caicedo began processing sugarcane to obtain panela. His efforts were rewarded when he turned his small plot of land into a sugar production plant called El Ingenio Riopaila.
Don Hernando saw the possibility of adding value to the sugar he produced in 1927 and decided to found Colombina SA
In 1935, innovative candies with a variety of tropical flavors were introduced, and became popular as "Colombinas."
In 1946, Mr. Jaime Hernando Caicedo, son of Don Hernando and famous for his entrepreneurial drive, assumed leadership of the Company and created strategies that allowed the company to advance rapidly and expand in the national and international markets.
In the 1960s, European techniques were used to produce fillings and jams with natural flavours from local fruits, replacing artificial essences.
Exports to the United States began, making us the first South American factory to compete with European confectionery in this market, considered the largest in the world.
Meeting the growing international demand was possible thanks to the construction of a plant in the district of La Paila, Valle del Cauca.
Bon Bon Bum appeared in the 1970s and revolutionized the candy market in Colombia, tripling sales in just one year thanks to the fact that it was the first gum-filled candy available.
Bon Bon Bum quickly became Colombina's flagship product and became a favorite of children and adults of all ages.
The Coffee Delight coffee candy, which quickly became a Colombian icon, and the Nucita chocolate cream, which became a children's favorite for the experience of mixing two colors and two flavors, were born.
In 2023, we are among the top 10 food companies with the best sustainability practices according to the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment.
ICONTEC and the Zero Waste Corporation of Colombia awarded the Zero Waste certification in the Gold Category to the La Paila confectionery plant.
The newspaper La República named César Caicedo, executive president of the company, as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2022.
According to the Merco ESG Responsibility Ranking, we are the fifth most responsible company in the food sector in Colombia.
