The building sits on Jacinto Benavente Street, at the corner of Paz de Vigo, a visual trompe l’oeil. Externally it resembles a residential structure with the potential to mirror a countryside house; inside, on a lot of about 8,000 square meters, major national food brands are housed. The site has served since 1929, originally the headquarters for Carlos Albo’s descendants. A factory once designed by architect Jenaro de la Fuente has ceased operations as of this Wednesday, as the canning company enters a new era at the Salvaterra-As Neves Logistics Platform (Plisan), located roughly 40 kilometers away. The facility aims to handle 100 million boxes annually, within a state-of-the-art infrastructure. Tests have been completed, and operations are now underway, according to union sources. Today marks the launch of a project that, twenty years after its conceptual start, began to take shape as a major business megaparque.
Every day, the new logistics hub will absorb a workforce of about 150 Albo employees, a majority of whom are women. They have agreed on a transport bonus of around 115 euros per month to fund a bus service, with relocation managed by the company and the bus service organized by the employer. A twelve-minute mid-day break, new to the schedule, will be observed by staff who previously did not have such a pause.
The Plisan industrial site spans roughly 63,000 square meters, multiplying Vigo’s production area eightfold and including a Beiramar-facing logistics area adjacent to Frigalsa’s refrigeration operations. A 2,700-meter expansion supports this growth. Last Thursday, Albo’s entity Shanghai Kaichuang notified its shareholders of the transfer via a related fact filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. An equipment tuning tests order was issued on October 7, and the testing phase on the 17th and 19th proceeded without incident. The Chinese holding company, part of the Bright Food group with public participation, invested 25.25 million euros of the total 30 million euros in Salvaterra-As Neves.
The strategic plan targets an annual production of about 100 million boxes, with a near-term aim to reach 75 million, while the company presently produces around 60 million individual cans. A spokesperson from Albo, Juan Montáns, described the perspective in a Faro de Vigo interview, emphasizing that the challenge lies in scaling volumes and competing with major players in the sector. The context includes existing cost competition and a rising trend toward private-label products due to inflation, all under the umbrella of maintaining the core Albo brand. Montáns noted that while some markets may be price-driven, others are driven by quality and brand strength, leaving room for selective gains as the landscape evolves.
bye
In the Shanghai Kaichuang message to shareholders, the company outlined not only the timeline for vacating Vigo but also the future role of the Celeiro facility. After the new plant is completed, the Vigo and Celeiro sites will be removed from lease arrangements and their production will be consolidated into other factories to promote Albo products across Spain and international markets. The most recent accounts available (2020) show annual lease payments for Vigo reaching 329,606 euros, with additional sums for Celeiro. The parent company is Hical Vigo, which reported just over 415,000 euros in the 2021 fiscal year as per Trade Registry filings. The sale contract with Shanghai Kaichuang Marine International did not include a purchase option for the buildings, which remain under Albo family management for administration.
With the Vigo Albo closure, areas without industrial activity are increasing in a region poised for reform through residential expansion. The Cordelerías Mar development and Inveravante’s involvement mark the shift. The canning operation adds 10,600 square meters to the unused production and logistics footprint, bringing the total built area to about 80,000 square meters. Other facilities contributing to this inventory include Frivigo (14,525 square meters), Frigodis (20,947), Pescapuerta (11,469) and the former Flex building (15,198).
Current market activity estimates place roughly 130,000 square meters on the market, valued at about 10.2 million euros.
Supporters of the Salvaterra Logistics and Industrial Platform – As Neves (Plisan), including Puerto de Vigo, Xunta de Galicia and Zona Franca – have endorsed a new land valuation framework for parcels in the northern region. The area is divided into 32 plots with varying sizes from 2,100 to 11,500 square meters, totaling around 127,300 square meters. The overall valuation stands at 10.2 million euros.