He was the first businessman to enter the packaged sugar business in Mexico.

Grow Your Business, Not Your Inbox

Stay informed and join our daily newsletter now!


2 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

Héctor Álvarez de la Cadena Sillas, founder and president of the sweetener company Metco, died on February 12 in Mexico City, the company reported.

Álvarez de la Cadena and his son Héctor Álvarez de la Cadena founded Metco in 1991, one of the most innovative companies in Mexico, which today is positioned as a leader in sweetening solutions and systems, with 36% of the market in Mexico.

Under the leadership of Álvarez de la Cadena, Metco managed to develop six industrial patents such as the co-crystallization of sugar with stevia, developing the first low calorie sweetener on the market; Sugar BC. It also created Svetia, the leading sweetener in the stevia segment in Mexico with a 27% market share according to Nielsen 2020.

Metco pioneered the creation of no-calorie, low-calorie sweeteners, high yield sugars, invert sugars, and sugars. It exports its products to the United States, Spain and Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Its most recognized brands in the consumer area are: SVETIA, Azúcar BC, DB Sugar, Mascabado Genuino Metco, and Sweet-0.

Here is an interview that our high-level half brother conducted with him last year.