Ólvega: an industrial surge rooted in a local legend
Beyond the rolling steppes of Soria and the green-brown silhouettes of Moncayo and Toranzo, a vast industrial complex reshapes the landscape. Wide avenues split the area into zones for food, automotive, textiles, logistics, and even heavy industry. Trucks regularly roll in and out of the main entrances of the sprawling polygon, a site spanning 1 million square meters and currently half full. It stands as one of the largest hubs for employment in virtually all of Castilla y León, home to about 45 active companies. Names like the Remsa brake factory illustrate the scale, with more than 500 workers on site.
Ólvega greets visitors as a surprising beacon of economic vitality in a region known for low population density. Among its 3,668 residents, a solid portion labor with Social Security coverage and unemployment rates that have dropped to below 8%. Local engineers and entrepreneurs, such as José Jiménez and Juan Pablo Alonso, enjoy morning coffee at the Los Infantes Hotel, a refined spot that could easily belong to a provincial capital. It is here that the town’s industrial heritage begins to unfold. The Revilla family, notably Emiliano Revilla, built the Revilla Sausage factory in 1958, drawing workers from across Spain. The brand’s slogan, “Chorizos, Revilla, great taste,” became a household name across the country.
The town’s growth owes much to Emiliano’s vision. He financed the construction of roughly 150 houses, renting them to factory workers from various regions of Spain. People arrived from Extremadura, La Rioja, and beyond. Even today, Ólvega welcomes workers from Aragón, Navarra, and La Rioja who commute daily. As José and Juan Pablo explain, workers travel from Zaragoza, some 120 kilometers away, and many even come from Soria’s capital. This mobility is a living testament to the town’s role as a regional employment engine.
70 houses: addressing a housing challenge
The town’s rapid industrialization created a housing shortage. Ólvega’s mayor, Elia Jiménez, notes that workers from abroad sometimes needed to seek housing in nearby centers like Soria. The City Council, through Somacyl, recently granted 1,400 square meters of land to the Junta de Castilla y León to construct at least 70 homes. Officials see the development as a meaningful stimulus, yet the demand far exceeds supply. Discussions with additional companies continue as the city aims to expand opportunity for residents and newcomers alike.
Behind this push stand José and Juan Pablo, longtime colleagues of Emiliano Revilla, who credit him as the driving force behind Ólvega’s growth. They describe him as the architect of opportunity, a figure who opens doors at every turn and who believes in giving back to the community after years of private sector leadership. His guiding principle, they note, is simple honesty and a commitment to tangible results.
To fully understand Revilla’s influence, it helps to travel back to 1986. After selling his company to Unilever for 9,000 million pesetas, he faced a dramatic kidnapping by ETA that kept him in captivity for 249 days. The town organized demonstrations for his release, and upon returning home, he vowed to channel his energy into attracting investment that would generate local wealth. The result was a string of ventures in the late 1980s, including Cableados Ólvega, owned by Delphi, and Confecciones Ólvega, which would later pass to Levi Strauss. These enterprises once anchored the town with as many as 1,200 jobs, complementing the logistic backbone created by Transportes Molinero and Revilla’s own sausage business. A municipal commercial venture, Prouniol, further supported hometown wealth creation, inviting residents to invest in local projects—sometimes with funds drawn from personal savings. The impact extended into the town hall, the warehouses of the industrial zone, and beyond.
Local leaders emphasize the transformative nature of Revilla’s work. He is remembered not just for job creation but for forging a culture of accountability and opportunity. Among those who benefited most are families who witnessed a shift from a livestock-driven economy to an industrial engine. Ólvega’s strategic position—between Valladolid, Zaragoza, and Burgos—made it a critical link in Spain’s logistics and interregional commerce. The mayor highlights this geography as a key factor in drawing investment and connecting the town to France and the broader European market.
Revilla’s family continues to influence town life. Margarita Revilla, his daughter, recently founded Presumia, a gourmet juice brand that adds to Ólvega’s story of entrepreneurship. The Revilla legacy is enshrined in a town square monument, symbolizing the belief that Ólvega could become a model of sustainable growth and a micro-city built on industry, culture, and community.
Grants, incentives, and a modern landscape
Even at an advanced age, Emiliano remained engaged with the town’s future. José and Juan Pablo describe a persistent drive to seed new projects in Ólvega, stressing that progress often requires perseverance through countless meetings and trips. Support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and local authorities played a pivotal part in enabling investment. Evidence of these subsidies can be seen on factory facades, including TGT Quesos Naturales, where about 28 million of installation costs were funded, with six million shouldered by the autonomous community. The relocation to Ólvega from Tudela was a calculated decision, one that officials say brought tangible benefits to the local economy.
The City Council continues to explore tax incentives and land prices on the industrial estate to attract additional companies. The town offers high-quality education, wellness centers, a modern health facility, a fitness center, and a well-connected fiber network. A social center, complete with a cafeteria and therapy day center, adds to the town’s appeal. Today, the industrial polygon houses a diverse mix of businesses. Campofrío operates a modern factory producing pizzas with roughly 175 employees. Tortillas a tu Like, a refrigerated and frozen potato tortilla facility, has created about 40 jobs, with most workers residing in Ólvega. Local executives note the town’s ability to support both local and regional markets through scalable production capacity.
Remsa, which manufactures brake pads, occupies the former Delphi plant and employs around 500 people. The firm now features more than 2,500 brake part references in its catalog, focusing on workshop supply and regional distribution. The story of Revilla’s agile leadership continues to inspire, as do the other businesses that chose Ólvega for its favorable mix of logistics, labor, and local governance.
Several other notable companies have set roots in this Sorian epicenter, including Ormazabal (electrical transformers), Rodezna (wind industry support), Cyndea Pharma (250 employees), Método (furniture), Logar (glue), and Distiller. Reciclaje de solventes. A modern twist is provided by Replay Golf, a Miami-owned venture that recycles and renews golf balls in the area. Margarita Revilla notes that Presumia juice remains a family favorite, producing daily output that fluctuates with demand. The Revilla family continues to visit the town regularly, and their legacy remains a cornerstone of Ólvega’s business map, a living reminder of how a single entrepreneurial drive can reshape a community’s entire future.