A cooperative is not a building or a brand: it is people. These are the ones who make Jabalcuz® possible, each with their own role and all with the same character.
The Board of Directors
The governing board, elected by and among the members, sets the cooperative's course: from campaign decisions to the commitment to quality that has led us to international awards. The board represents the member families and is accountable to them — that is how a true cooperative works.
The mill master: Antonio Araque
If the olive grove provides the raw material, Antonio Araque provides the expertise. He is the one who decides the exact moment to mill each batch — never more than 24 hours after the fruit arrives —, monitors temperatures and beating times in the five lines of the mill, and tastes each tank before determining its use. The Mario Solinas First Prize is also his.
The governing board
Juan Manuel Araque Delgado, a member of the governing board, summed it up like this in La Contra de Jaén's report: "The truth is that it was a very big surprise to achieve this recognition in the first year we produced oil. Our greatest heritage lies in virgin oils."
The board is renewed by vote at the general assembly, and its members remain what they were before joining: olive growers. Those who decide on the campaign also have their own harvest at stake in it — it is the best guarantee that decisions are made with the long-term future of the olive grove in mind, not the quarterly results.
Administration and staff
From the reception yard to the bottling line, via the office that serves members and customers: the cooperative's team keeps the mill running all year round, not just during the campaign.
And hundreds of member families
The real who's who of Jabalcuz is in the field: the families of Los Villares who cultivate their mountain olive groves on family farms, as has always been done. When you buy our oil, you are buying from them. This is their story.
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